AFRICA/DR CONGO - The Bishops launch a civic education campaign ahead of elections

Tuesday, 21 June 2016 bishops   politics  

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - The National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) has launched the campaign for voter and civic education. The campaign aims to encourage citizens to be more involved in affairs of the country and wants young people and women to take charge of their destiny, especially in view of general elections.
The presidential and parliamentary elections should be held by November this year, but is now likely to be postponed, opening the way for an extension of outgoing President Joseph Kabila’s mandate (see Fides 25/05/2016).
The Church, in this delicate stage, has committed itself to train people not to be passive but to participate in building a nation guided by the rule of law. According to a statement sent to Agenzia Fides, "the campaign aims at stimulating reflection on the living conditions, the current political situation etc ...".
The Bishops' initiative was made possible thanks to the financial support from the Canadian government. According to the Ambassador of Canada in the Democratic Republic of Congo, "the project of civic and electoral education aims at building a nation guided by the rule of law, and it is known that the creation of a government founded on rules, rights of the person and on the establishment of effective and accountable institutions, is essential to development, therefore the project will contribute to the economic and lasting growth of the Country". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 21/06/2016)


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