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CONGOLESE LEAGUE FOR PEACE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND ELECTIONS
In Congo-Kinshasa, declarations are raining in every direction on the sine die returns of the elections as Corneille Nangaa had said, loud and clear, on July 7, 2017, on the antennas of TV5 WORLD. The Congolese League for Peace, Human Rights and Elections (LICOPADEL) strongly opposed yesterday, Tuesday 11 July 2017, in a statement read by Mr Patrick Pindu, Considers illegal. It judges it, without ambiguity, of arbitrariness. For this reference is not based on any evaluation report or on a field study made public. Patrick Pindu, a leading lawyer at the Court of Appeal and a fervent defender of human rights, stresses that this action constitutes a serious violation of the right to vote, which is a fundamental prerogative guaranteed to all Congolese by the ” Article 5 of the Constitution of the country and Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Indeed, it calls for vigilance on the part of the Congolese population following the maneuvers of the CENI and the Congolese political players, of all confused tendencies who are in the same games. Having marched on democracy and good governance, Corneille Nangaa and his office are called to resign because of their inability to organize the elections within the deadline stipulated in the Agreement of 31 December 2016.
In addition, LICOPADEL is asking the Head of State, Joseph Kabila, to report to the Congolese people in the face of the crisis that is set to appear in the days to come. It denounces and condemns the participation of the president of the CENI in violation of the right of the Congolese to vote leaders of their choice on December 31, 2017. On this occasion, LICODEPAL officially launched its first issue of its quarterly newspaper “TRANSPARENCY” . The latter is a channel through which notions of democracy, good governance and civil rights will be disseminated free of charge.
Read, below, the entire LICOAPDEL statement.
CONGOLESE LEAGUE FOR PEACE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND ELECTIONS
Congolese League for Peace, Human Rights and Elections
LICOPADEL / ONGDH-ASBL
Office of the Secretariat and the National Executive Committee
DECLARATION OF LICOPADEL ON THE DECLARATION OF THE ELECTIONS ANNOUNCED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE CENI
LICOPADEL DENOUNCES AND CONDEMNS CENI PRESIDENT’S PARTICIPATION IN THE VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT OF THE CONGOLES TO VOTE THE DIRECTORS OF THEIR CHOICES TO 31 DECEMBER 2017
The President of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), Mr. Corneille Nangaa Yobeluo, has just announced, for the umpteenth time, the “impossibility” of organizing presidential, legislative and local elections in the Republic of Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The referral sine die of the holding of elections is considered illegal and arbitrary by the Congolese League for Peace, Human Rights and Elections, LICOPADEL because it is not based on any evaluation report or a study Made public.
This action constitutes a serious violation of the right to vote, which is a fundamental prerogative guaranteed to all Congolese by Article 5 of the Constitution of the country and Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
Indeed, the said elections should be held since November 2016, within the constitutional deadlines and terms. In exceptional cases, they were referred on a date to be fixed by the CENI before December 2017 in accordance with the Comprehensive and Inclusive Political Agreement of the Interdiocesan Center of Kinshasa of December 31, 2016.
As President of a public institution in support of Democracy, any decision by Nangaa to change the period during which the elections should be held should be written, motivated and taken in accordance with the relevant procedures. For not having done so, Nangaa engages her personal personality.
Faced with the lack of documented justification for the comments made by the President of the CENI, the members of the National Executive Committee and the National Executive Secretariat of the Congolese League for Peace, Human Rights and Elections, in LICOPADEL believe that NGOs And all civil society supported by the entire Congolese population should challenge the way they defend human rights.
They must, on the one hand, re-educate the primary sovereign by explaining to him why he must regain his right to vote systematically violated. On the other hand, they must attract Mr. Nangaa before the judicial or republican authorities, for violation of human rights, in this case the right of the Congolese people to appoint representatives of their choice.
Indeed, voting is a fundamental right granted to all Congolese to give a mandate, legally and regularly, to one or more leaders to manage the public affairs, with the obligation to report to him.
It makes possible the questioning on the management of peace, security and well-being of all. It makes it possible to sanction the leaders of the three traditional powers separately and to require them to respect the Constitution.
Moreover, respect for the right to vote is the guarantee of good political, economic and social governance. It concurs in the construction of a just and dignified society to which all humanity aspires.
On the other hand, abuse of the right to vote affects the exercise and enjoyment of all other rights. It motivates the repression of the rights and freedoms of expression of political opinion, thought or conscience. It underlies violations of the rights to economic well-being, decent work and adequate wages, formal education, health and basic infrastructure. It also facilitates abuses against women, children and vulnerable people.
In short, the members of the National Executive Committee and the National Executive Secretariat of the Congolese League for Peace, Human Rights and Elections, in the LICOPADEL sense, believe that Mr. Corneille Nangaa Yobeluo should know that his action to send sine die Arbitrarily, constitutes a violation of the right to vote of the Congolese people.
It deprives the primary sovereign of his prerogative to designate the leaders of his choice. It destroys the mechanism of citizen control of good political, economic and social governance. Consequently, it engages its personal responsibility.
Freedom, respect for human rights and the principle of honest and periodic election by universal suffrage are values that are essential elements of democracy. In turn, democracy becomes a natural environment for the protection and effective realization of human rights. These values are embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and further development in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which embodies a range of political rights and civil liberties that are the pillars of true democracy.
In conclusion, LICOPADEL is opposed to the postponement of the elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and calls on the Congolese population to remain vigilant following the maneuvers of the CENI and the Congolese political actors of all tendencies in the same games .
In addition, LICOPADEL asks the president of the CENI and all his office to resign if they are unable to organize the presidential, national and provincial elections they promised the Congolese people first in December 2016 and then In December 2017.
Done at Kinshasa on 11 July 2017
For the LICOPADEL
The Executive Director
Mr. PINDU-di-LUSANGA Patrick
Lawyer at the Court of Appeal and International Defender of Marginalized Groups
