Category: Politics

The legislative elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo are approaching and the stakes are enormous. The Minister of Communication and Media, Patrick Muyaya, reassured about the government’s willingness to assume its responsibilities despite the difficult security context and the war in the east of the country. The CENI has convened the electorate and wishes to meet with the political leaders of the opposition to explore realistic solutions. All actors must work together to guarantee the credibility of the electoral process and its success, in the interest of peace and stability in the DRC.

Civil society organizations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have called for general mobilization for credible, inclusive and transparent elections in the country, ahead of the general elections scheduled for December 2023. They have expressed their concern about the political and security challenges that risk further weakening national peace, unity and cohesion. To ensure inclusive and credible elections, citizen organizations demanded the audit of the electoral register and the timely accreditation of electoral observers, while calling on the international community to assume its share of responsibility in promoting a transparent electoral process. and inclusive in the DRC.

Summary: The national legislative elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo will take place from June 26 to July 15. Candidates must meet certain criteria and the promotion of diversity (including the presence of women and young people) is recommended for independent candidates, parties and political groupings. Congolese living abroad can also register to vote. Candidates must provide several documents and proof of payment of 1,600,000 Congolese francs for each seat. These elections represent an opportunity for the Congolese to make their voices heard and to promote diversity in government bodies.

President Félix Tshisekedi reiterated his commitment to the protection of the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo during an intervention at the jubilee mass of Bernard Kasanda, bishop of the diocese of Mbuji-mayi. He warned those who would threaten the security and stability of the country and affirmed that he would attack without hesitation any Congolese who put their country in danger. This intervention comes in a context of growing tensions between the government and the opposition, with the approach of the elections. The president reaffirmed his determination to keep the country united and to pacify it, despite the precarious security situation with clashes between the government army and armed groups in certain regions. The success of its governance will be judged on its ability to find solutions to end this violence and to improve the daily lives of the population.

The article reports that the national deputy of Sakania, Anaclet Kabeya, was welcomed as a hero by his constituents on his return to his territory this Thursday, June 22, 2023. He thanked Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo for the achievements in the province of Haut -Katanga, while calling for the fight against tribalism and mobilization for the re-election of the president. The complex political, electoral and security context in the DRC is also mentioned, with an insistence on the need for vigilance and cooperation to guarantee security in the east of the country.

Next week will take place in the Democratic Republic of Congo the 2023 edition state exam, the last certification test of the school year. Parents must pay 31,000 FC for their children’s participation, but the exam is free in some schools in the country. Despite a planned budget, the Minister of Higher and University Education had requested the abolition of this examination because of possible fraud and its financial impact. Nevertheless, we wish the participants good luck for this important event.

Martin Fayulu, the Congolese political leader who finished second in the 2018 presidential election, withdrew from the electoral process in the DRC because of a corrupt electoral register which could encourage electoral fraud. This announcement was met with disappointment by his supporters, who were planning to restore him to the popularity he had in 2018. Although no new statement has been released from Fayulu, it seems that he plans to reconsider their decision. Fayulu supporters have called for credible, transparent and fair elections to avoid a repeat of the electoral fraud that took place in 2018. With Fayulu stepping down, the question now is whether Martin Fayulu will actually do backtracking on his decision.

The Congolese political opposition met in Kinshasa despite attempts to prevent the power in place. The political leaders present denounced the failure of the current regime, the growing insecurity, the high cost of living, economic instability and youth unemployment. They called for an end to electoral fraud and a profound overhaul of the country, while raising awareness among the population on the electoral issues to come. Only Martin Fayulu was able to take part in the event.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has postponed the voter registration and identification operation in Kwamouth for security reasons. This measure follows requests from the Provincial Assembly of Mai-Ndombe to restore security. This situation illustrates the difficulties encountered by the DRC in terms of security and reinforces the importance of strengthening security measures to allow people to return to their homes so that the nation can better develop.

President Félix Tshisekedi recently visited Kananga and Mbuji-Mayi as part of his development policy for the country’s provinces. It has launched several infrastructure rehabilitation and construction projects as well as an anti-erosion program financed by the World Bank. He also participated in local events and multiplied meetings with political actors and civil society in order to define the priority projects of each province.