** The art of electoral planning: decryption of the 2025-2029 roadmap of the CENI **
On April 4, 2025, Dénis Kadima Kazadi, president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), announced a crucial stage for Congolese democracy by publishing the roadmap for the electoral process 2025-2029. This act, which takes place for the national, provincial and local elections of 2028, embodies a strong commitment to comply with constitutional deadlines and to avoid past traumas linked to the Electoral Delay. However, beyond the simple announcement of this roadmap, arises the question of the opportunity of such a project in such a dense socio-political context.
### Electoral planning as a response to past trauma
To understand the importance of this roadmap, it is essential to remember the weight of the past. The 2016 elections, initially planned, were controversial, with a temporal shift that left the population in uncertainty and distrust. Since then, the need to show rigorous planning has imposed obvious. By declaring that this roadmap is “our compass for the coming years”, Dénis Kadima highlights the importance of a proactive and anticipatory approach.
### An unprecedented method: time, an ally negotiated
The way this planning has been welcomed shows a collective awareness of political actors and civil society. The CENI offers an approach in several stages and in the long term, a notorious innovation for an institution often criticized for its imparation. The creation of a specific calendar, starting with an inventory of materials in April 2025, testifies to this desire for transformation. Indeed, by comparing with the previous electoral cycles where the imparation was the norm, the CENI seems to take a step towards a greater methodological rigor.
### an inclusive engagement tool
The roadmap is not content to be a calendar; It is a dynamic of trust. By facilitating the organization of different stakeholders, this sheet becomes a means of preventing distrust that has reigned so much in the past. The involvement of the various political factions, civil society organizations and citizens in this process could well establish a climate of inclusiveness necessary in a country where pluralism is at the heart of democratic aspirations.
### Comparison with foreign electoral systems
From an international perspective, the CENI roadmap can be resonated with similar approaches observed in other democracies in transition. For example, the Norwegian electoral calendar, which combines municipal and national elections over a regular and predictable period, could serve as inspiration to establish a transparent and engaging framework for Congolese voters. Experiences in Kenya, where electoral delays have also caused ethnic tensions and violence, show how proactive management of electoral schedules is essential. These international analogies highlight the importance of good preparation upstream of the elections.
### Conclusions and future issues
In short, while the CENI highlights its intention to guarantee an effective organization of the elections, there are challenges to be met. The real question is whether this roadmap will generate the necessary confidence with voters, while provoking a dynamic of civic engagement. Indeed, this clever planning process could become a model to follow not only for the 2028 elections, but for the influence of a modern Congolese democracy capable of learning from its past mistakes.
The path will be long and strewn with pitfalls, but with a well -defined project, the CENI could not only succeed in taking the elections on, but also to restore a climate of confidence in the electoral process, even the foundation of all democracy. The ball is now in the camp of all Congolese political and citizens. Fatshimetrie.org will closely follow this daring company.