AFRICA/DR CONGO - Bishops urge vigilance on the eve of the election

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - "Let us not leave the polling stations until the results are published". This is the appeal that the Congolese Bishops' Conference (CENCO) made back in June to the voters who, tomorrow, December 20, will elect the President, 500 deputies of the National Assembly, the deputies of the 26 provincial assemblies and - for the first time after the new Constitution - should elect members of around 300 local councils. In their message entitled "Pour des élections crédibles, Peuple congolais réveille-toi de ton sommeil!", the bishops stressed that by inviting voters to remain at polling stations until the results are announced, "we will already have a clear idea of the winners. The electoral commission will have no choice but to confirm them."
The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) is responsible for conducting the election and ensuring its credibility. In the past it was the subject of criticism, especially for the 2018 elections, won by outgoing President, Félix Tshisekedi, who is running for a second term, won against 18 competitors. It is no coincidence that the CENI headquarters in Kinshasa is heavily guarded by security forces, even with armored vehicles. The call to occupy the individual polling stations until the election results are published has been reiterated by several Congolese bishops, such as Bishop François Abeli Muhoya of Kindu, who on Sunday December 17 asked the faithful with the following words: "Let us not leave the polling stations before the results are posted at the polling station and all relevant documents are officially signed. Let us give a mandate to new leaders who have shown a sense of the common good, love for their country and generosity in their social projects". Bishop Donatien Bafuidinsoni of Inongo also deplored the "verbal and physical violence" carried out during the election campaign, particularly on social media and traditional media (newspapers, radio and television). Bishop Bafuidinsoni warned against those who sow tribal hatred and buy and sell votes. Those who use such practices, said the Bishop of Inongo, "are morally questionable and want to seize power through fraudulent means, not to serve us, but to further enslave us."
Out of a total population of 100 million, 44 million voters are called to vote (a number that shows how young the Congolese population is). Outgoing President Tshisekedi is considered the favorite in the presidential elections. Analysts say Moïse Katumbi, a wealthy businessman and former governor of Katanga, appears to be the main challenger. Other candidates include Martin Fayulu, who claims his victory in the 2018 elections was stolen from him, and Dr. Denis Mukwege, 68, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 for his work on behalf of female victims of wartime rape in the east of the country (see Fides, 8/10/2018). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 19/12/2023)

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