AFRICA/DR CONGO - The Bishops’ request to the President: "A national dialogue in accordance with the Constitution"

Tuesday, 2 June 2015

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - "A national dialogue in accordance with the Constitution". This is what the Bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) hoped for during the meeting with President Joseph Kabila, dedicated to the drafting of the new electoral calendar. The opposition alleges that the elections (local, provincial and presidential elections between now and 2016) so far proposed, are too dense and close, and calls for a new election timetable. The suspicion is that in this way Kabila intends to extend his mandate due to expire in 2016 (see Fides 21/02/2015). The idea of a third term of Kabila, in violation of the Constitution, had aroused strong protests in January (see Fides 24/01/2015)
According to information sent to Agenzia Fides, in order to resolve the dispute, the Head of State launched a series of meetings with political representatives, civil society and religious leaders present in the DRC, including the Catholic bishops. During the meeting, representatives of CENCO (National Episcopal Conference of Congo), His Exc. Mgr. Nicolas Djomo (Bishop of Tshumbe, President of CENCO), His Exc. Mgr. Fulgence Muteba (Bishop of Kilwa Kasenga, in Katanga ) and Don Leonard Santedi (Secretary General of CENCO), launched an appeal to establish an atmosphere of mutual trust.
"We thanked the President of the Republic of having associated us with the consultations. (...). For us, dialogue is the main path and peaceful way out of a crisis. It is essential to have a national consensus on the electoral calendar", said Don Leonard Santedi after the meeting.
"Dialogue must be in strict compliance with the Constitution", he added. "The safety of the electoral process and candidates are important points that have to lead the Country towards what is important for the Bishops: the construction of a better future, and above all, the welfare of the people", concluded the Secretary General of CENCO. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 02/06/2015)


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