Congo delays presidential vote until Dec 30
CONGO’S ELECTORAL commission yesterday delayed the country’s long-awaited presidential election until December 30, citing a recent fire that destroyed 80 per cent of the voting machines in the capital.
The vote had been scheduled for Sunday. This is the latest of several delays in the election originally scheduled for late 2016, amid opposition concerns that President Joseph Kabila had been looking for ways to stay in power. Kabila, in office since 2001, earlier this year announced he would step aside.
After last week’s fire destroyed some 8,000 voting machines in Kinshasa, officials found replacement machines but had to get five million new ballots printed and prepared, said Corneille Nangaa, head of the national electoral commission.
He called on the country of some 40 million voters for calm. The delay of even a week could spark another wave of unrest.
Some protesters quickly gathered outside the electoral commission’s offices to demonstrate against the decision to postpone the vote.
“Nangaa speaks nonsense. They didn’t organise the election in seven years, and they want us to believe they will be ready in seven days? Kabila is sabotaging the election. Kabila must go,” said Fiston Adumba.
Tensions have been rising in Congo, which has not had a peaceful, democratic change of leader since it became independent from Belgium in 1960.
RALLIES BANNED
On Wednesday, the governor of Kinshasa, Andre Kimbuta, banned all election rallies in the capital, citing security concerns. That prevented main opposition leader Martin Fayulu from holding a rally.
Thousands of angry supporters gathered, but police dispersed them with tear gas.
“No postponement is justifiable,” Fayulu’s coalition said in a statement later Thursday, saying it would not accept the delay and accusing Kabila of trying to stay in power and “continue to loot the country.”