Moïse Katumbi’s candidacy for the presidential election in the DRC has been at the heart of the news in recent days. However, a problem arose during its submission to the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). Indeed, the Katumbi team presented itself with photocopies of the required documents, while the CENI required the originals for their authentication.
Among the missing documents, two essential pieces: the criminal record extract and the nationality certificate. Katumbi’s relatives had brought certified copies, but the CENI insisted on obtaining the originals.
Faced with this situation, the Katumbi camp decided not to argue and promised to return the next day with the complete file, including the missing originals. Hervé Diakese, a member of his team, declared: “In itself, this poses no problem for us. It is a simple administrative formality. This does not give rise to any legal consequences, we are not going to argue about it. We will drop off tomorrow peacefully.”
This procedure complies with the electoral legislation in force in the DRC, which requires the presentation of originals of candidacy documents. All applications are treated equally to ensure the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.
It remains to be seen whether Moïse Katumbi will be able to submit his complete file within the stipulated deadline and whether he will meet all the requirements of the CENI to formalize his candidacy for the presidential election. This situation highlights the importance of respecting administrative procedures and paying attention to details during the application process.
The affair of Moïse Katumbi’s candidacy file also highlights the importance of transparency and compliance in the electoral process. Voters must have confidence that all candidates are subject to the same rules and criteria, to ensure fair and credible elections.
In conclusion, the non-receipt of Moïse Katumbi’s application file at the CENI due to the absence of the originals of the required documents is a temporary obstacle which must be overcome. The situation highlights the importance of respecting administrative procedures and legal requirements in any electoral process. The next step will be for the Katumbi camp to present the complete file so that its application can be officially validated.