DRC: Several observation missions unveil contrasting reports on general elections

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), presidential, legislative, provincial and communal by-elections began on 20 December 2023 and continued on 21 December, due to delays or closures of polling stations. A situation that several election observation missions returned to on Thursday. Details.

Voters check election results pasted on the door of a polling station in Kinshasa on December 21, 2023. AFP - JOHN WESSELS

By: David Kalfa Follow

Advertising

Read More

From our special correspondent in Kinshasa,

General elections continue in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) beyond December 20, 2023: some polling stations, closed on Wednesday, opened their doors 24 hours later, while others finished counting operations on Thursday that began the day before.

Read alsoElections in the DRC: in Kinshasa, the painstaking work of agents in charge of counting and comparing the results

In Kinshasa, several Election Observation Missions (EOMs) unveiled their preliminary report on December 21 on this election used to designate the country's president, national and provincial deputies as well as municipal councillors.

The mission of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) and the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC) prefers, at this stage, to limit itself to putting forward several figures. For example, the percentage (16) of polling stations (BV) that would have been set up in places – military academies/schools, places of worship, headquarters of political parties or groupings – not provided for by the electoral law. A Cenco-ECC mission also notes that in nearly 65% of the cases observed, the first voter in each polling station voted at 6 a.m., the time scheduled for the start of operations.

The first trends unveiled on December 22nd?

On the other hand, for the Synergy of Citizen Election Observation Missions (Symocel), another organization, more than half of the polling stations (BV) opened late (between 1 a.m. and 11 a.m. after the scheduled time) on Wednesday. Symocel also assures that, according to its estimates, 57% of the polling stations complied with the procedures of the voting operations. Finally, it claims that its "observers have been victims of aggression, denial of access and exclusion from counting operations at polling stations".

The election is supposed to end this Thursday. For the National Youth Council (CNJ), which claims to have deployed 45,000 observers for the occasion, also voting on Friday 22 December seems unlikely. "Already, we are beyond the law," the NJC said at a press conference. Yesterday, we recommended to the CENI [Independent National Electoral Commission] to take responsible care for Congolese citizens who would like to fulfill their civic duties. [...] We believe that this total care of citizens, some of whom are still in front of the polling stations, will indeed be ensured by the CENI."

For its part, the CENI claims to be able to give the first trends on these elections as early as this Friday, despite the accumulated delay. Its second vice-president, Didi Manara Linga, said in an interview on Top Congo station: "This will be the first time in this country that the CENI will publish the results of the elections two days after the vote.

Read alsoCalls on current events - [Your reactions] General elections at risk in the DRC

NewsletterGet all the latest international news straight to your inbox

Subscribe now

Keep up to date with all the latest international news by downloading the RFI app

Share:

Read on the same topics:

• Ground floor
• Elections in the DRC