In force since July 6, 2023, the national forum of stakeholders in the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has come to an end after three days of intense debates and exchanges. Organized by several institutions including the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), this forum brought together various political and civil society actors to discuss issues related to the upcoming elections in the DRC.
On the last day, two panels were organized to address key themes. The first panel, entitled “The commitment of political parties in the electoral process”, brought together representatives of the political majority and the opposition. The discussions focused on the responsibilities, expectations and requirements of the forces involved. While some representatives of the majority have expressed their desire to participate in the elections with their respective parties, the representatives of the opposition have underlined the need for a reorganization of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) and the Constitutional Court, as well as an external audit of the electoral register.
The second panel, entitled “The Judiciary in Elections: Electoral Disputes”, focused on issues related to electoral disputes. The speakers discussed the different types of possible disputes, such as those related to the eligibility of candidates and those related to the results published by the CENI. They also stressed the importance of election monitoring and observation to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
CENI President Dénis Kadima also spoke on the last day of the forum. He presented an overview of the work carried out by the CENI so far and answered questions from participants. Regarding the electoral file, he said that the accusations of combining data from 2018 were unfounded. He also encouraged political parties to organize their own election observation, rather than relying solely on observation by the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO).
This national forum of stakeholders in the electoral process allowed constructive exchanges and highlighted the key issues related to the upcoming elections in the DRC. It testifies to the will of political actors and civil society to actively engage in this democratic process.