Photo Of President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi.
By Chris Muhizi for MCN Friday June 29th/2023.
President Félix Tshisekedi reaffirmed his intention to hold elections within the prescribed time frames in his address to the nation on the 63rd anniversary of the DRC’s declaration of independence. They have a six-month deadline.
The Head of State reminded that “2023 is a year of presidential, national, and provincial elections for legislatures, as well as – for the first time – local elections.
He therefore urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), despite a number of obstacles, “to continue bravely and constantly the ongoing efforts to respect the constitutional deadlines in the strict organization of the various elections in accordance with global standards.”
He also expressed his gratitude to the CENI for the work completed in accordance with the first phase of its agenda. Following the identification and enrollment of voters, the CENI organized the electorate and opened its offices to candidates for national representatives.
Félix Tshisekedi continued, “In the same vein, I remind the Government of the Republic to continue doing its part, particularly by taking all necessary steps to make financial means available to the CENI, with a view to holding transparent and credible elections with respect to constitutional deadlines.
So, in contrast to the opposition’s criticism, the latter urged Congolese to “go towards the next elections in a serene and peaceful climate.”
It calls for the electoral record to be maintained in addition to the CENI and Constitutional Court being reorganized.
The National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) stated that “the electoral process is badly engaged” in the DRC in a message that was released on Thursday, June 22 in Lubumbashi. She regretted the lack of a triangular dialogue process (majority, opposition, and civil society) as well as the lack of a reputable counterexpertise from a specialized international body to audit the electoral register.
his address comes after lay Protestants and Catholics urged the Congolese to mobilize broadly for legitimate, inclusive, and transparent elections. They were joined by activists from citizens’ organizations and other civil society actors.
These groups issued a press release on Saturday in Kinshasa warning that the DRC is once more on the edge of collapse owing to the “opaque and non-inclusive” voting system.
These civil society organizations add that “the explosive security context marked in particular by the multiplicity of militias affiliated with political parties and the occupation of certain localities by foreign armies and armed groups” to the list of problems.
Thus, they urge that the electoral register be audited by an independent agency in this declaration, which was read by the president of the Council of the Apostolate of Catholic Laity of Congo (CALCC), Jean-Bosco Lalo:
Source: okapi radio .