The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) of the Democratic Republic of Congo is preparing to publish the results of the recently held national legislative elections. Preliminary work is underway and includes the exclusion of invalidated candidates, the calculation of the representativeness threshold and the allocation of seats.
In this phase, the CENI announced that it would exclude 82 candidates for accusations of fraud and/or violence. This decision was contested before the Council of State, which held summary hearings to examine the legality of the CENI’s action. The lawyers of the invalidated candidates argued the illegality of this decision and requested the suspension of its effects.
They argued that the CENI exceeded its powers by canceling elections in certain constituencies and highlighted the lack of adversarial hearing granted to candidates before making a decision. The Council of State has taken the matter under advisement and is expected to render its decision within 48 hours.
Beyond this controversial situation, it is important to emphasize that the publication of the results of the legislative elections is a crucial moment for democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These results will determine the composition of parliament and will have a significant impact on the political life of the country.
It is also interesting to note that this publication will be made live from the Malu Malu room of the CENI and will be broadcast on national television. This will allow all citizens to follow the progress of this essential process and see the results in a transparent manner.
In conclusion, the publication of the results of the national legislative elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a major event which raises many expectations and questions. It remains to be seen how the Council of State will rule on the question of invalidated candidates and how the CENI will manage the aftermath of this affair.