DR Congo Elections Preparations

The meeting focused on the following major orientations: sustained attention for the follow-up of appeals to the Constitutional Court, generation and printing of provisional lists of voters for display in the antennas, identification and identification of the members of the polling and counting offices ( MBVD), continued widespread awareness in all sectors and chiefdoms.

During this meeting, it was also a question of examining the level of progress of the operational activities which were carried out in parallel with the operations of reception and processing of the candidatures. It also involved assessing the operational challenges related to future electoral activities, including the identification of polling stations, the identification and recruitment of staff to work in the polling stations, counting, at the Local Compilation Centres. Results (CLCR), the deployment of different electoral materials, the electoral training as well as the sensitisation of the population on the voting machine.

It is in this context that two teams of CENI experts have been staying in South Korea and China for several months to conduct qualitative and quantitative control of voting machines and production, packaging and deployment, respectively. Electoral hardware.

Still at the operational level, the President of the CENI reported to the other Members of the Bureau of the orientations transmitted, on Thursday, August 23, 2018, to the Provincial Executive Secretaries (SEP) who came to deposit at the head office of the CENI in Kinshasa the physical files of the National deputies Candidates. This Monday’s meeting amply testifies to the determination of the electoral centre to keep the electoral calendar intact.

Unjustified DR Congo Elections fears

If from Kinshasa the signals are reassuring as to the holding of elections on the agreed date, it is within the international community that they want to find lice on a bald head. Now that the Head of State, having understood the plan for Balkanization of the DRC, has designated his Successor, the target for the moment suddenly becomes the CENI. Here, we want to convince the CENI to accept logistical support, to seek a consensus on the voting machine, etc.

And yet, the Government has been firm in lifting this option according to which, as the elections are under the sovereignty of a country, their financing is the competence of the DR Congo. Kinshasa has promised to use all its resources for the financing of elections, which is quite normal. Partners who are interested in supporting the Congo are welcome, especially through development aid or the fight against certain diseases (Ebola, malaria, etc.). At this level, it must be emphasised that Kinshasa has never refused external support, especially since we can not live in a vacuum. The country under the leadership of Joseph Kabila, simply wanted the support of partners to be assigned to something else, for more impact at the level of the population. If not, what would be the penalty for a country that refuses external aid?

As we have already stressed, to date, the CENI has never lamented the lack of funding and the Government of the Republic has not withdrawn its willingness to finance the elections. Why then can DR Congo partners think that the CENI would not have the date of 23 December 2018?

In light of what has just been put forward, one wonders what Monusco’s logistics support is really hiding in a country where these UN forces who have arrived in support of the FARDC are struggling to present a convincing record. . Several years of presence in the DRC resulted in insecurity in the East, where people are at the rendezvous with death almost every day.

Another issue that creates controversy is the use of the voting machine. To date, all the arguments have struggled to convince sceptics, surprised by the progress made by the electoral process in the DRC. Otherwise, the rejection of the voting machine will result in postponing the date for the organisation of elections. This is contrary to the determination of the CENI, that wants to offer Congolese elections through this tool of the new technology.

If it turns out that it is the opposition that has always accused the ruling government of not showing willingness to organise the elections, which this time can assume responsibility, at the moment where the candidatures for the presidential and the national legislative are already deposited and wait for the beginning of the electoral dispute in the Constitutional Court?

What does this propensity to reject the elections at all costs? This risks being analysed as the attitude of those who have never wanted elections and are looking for other undemocratic shortcuts to come to power. These will meet on their road the Congolese people determined as ever, as well as its institutions, to live alternately in peace. This in the perspective of continuing the efforts of the reconstruction and development of the DRC. Both of them respect the choices of the CENI, a democracy that supports institution has received overwhelming support from the Congolese legislator the power to organise the elections.

Joram Jojo