DRC UNDER PRESSURE TO ANNOUNCE POLL RESULT
KINSHASA - Public and diplomatic pressure is mounting on the Democratic Republic of Congo to announce the outcome of December 30 elections to replace long-term leader Joseph Kabila.
More than a week after the crucial poll, the country’s electoral commission has not set a date for the results announcement, already postponed once.
The count is taking place in a climate of deep suspicion in a country that has never had a peaceful transition of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.
On Sunday, election commission head Corneille Nangaa said just over half of ballots had been counted and appealed to the public “to remain patient for the time it will take to consolidate all our data.”
But on Monday, the foreign minister of former colonial power Belgium - a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council due to discuss the situation in DRC this week - urged haste.
“The important thing today is to publish the results of the elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo even if they do not please the powers that be,” Didier Reynders told Belgium’s RTBF broadcaster.
For its part, the CLC collective of Congolese Catholic laypeople which coordinated anti-Kabila protests in 2017 and 2018, bemoaned what it described as “collusion” between the country’s ruling FCC coalition and the CENI election commission.
It accused the FCC (Common Front for Congo) and CENI of levelling “aggressive and unjustified” criticism against the country’s powerful Catholic Church, and said this “confirms, in everyone’s eyes, their collusion” and revealed “a hidden agenda.”
Twenty-one candidates ran in
the who ridden years. election has country ruled to the succeed for almost vast conflict- Kabila, 18
Fayulu, Among another the frontrunners opposition were candidate Felix Tshisekedi, and Kabila’s preferred successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council has put off a planned session on the DRC and its closely watched presidential election as the country continues waiting for delayed results.
A council discussion initially set for yesterday was postponed to Friday after Congolese officials indefinitely postponed the release of the first results.
And a spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday the UN is looking forward to “the timely publication” of provisional results.