Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - The Democratic Republic of Congo is still waiting to hear the results of elections held on 30 July. After clashes last week between troops loyal to outgoing president, Joseph Kabila and troops of Jean-Pierre Bemba (in second place after the first round of elections), the situation appears to be calm. Partial results gave the PMA Presidential Majority Alliance 178 seats out of 369. The Congolese Nationalist Group CNG an alliance of parties which supports Bemba, came second with 55 seats.
Pending final election results the Congo Religions Network of Election Control ROC called on political leaders to respect the will of the voters expressed at the polls. This appeal was made during a press conference organised by about 20 civil society associations including ROC which presented a report on the elections.
ROC said the elections on 30 July reflected the free and sovereign will of the Congolese people and it called on the defeated and winning candidates not to incite the people to hatred and to avoid all forms of triumphalism. The religious leaders said the country’s political parties must realise that democracy is built on correct education of the people. They called on the media to use freedom of information with impartiality and responsibility and urged the people not to listen to those who try to spread hatred.
ROC deployed 30,000 election observers all over the country and therefore was in a position to assess the correctness of the voting operation. In its report ROC stressed the need to improve certain aspects of electoral organisation calling on the Independent Electoral Commission to improve formation of electoral representatives and the communications system in order to prevent misunderstanding at polling stations and guarantee the people correct information on the election process.
The ROC report lamented the absence of a population censure which could have favoured attempts at fraud and insufficient civic education of the people, for example illiterate voters were not sure that their choice was respected by the electoral officials who helped them place their vote, and at some polling stations votes were counted without the presence of witnesses or observers.
According to Angola’s Catholic news agency DIA, ROC is formed of representatives of 7 different communities, the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, the Church of Christ in Congo, the Kimbanguista Church, the Union of Independent Churches, the Awakening Church and the Congolese Muslim Community.(L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 5/9/2006 righe 47 parole 505)
