AFRICA/CONGO DR - The results of the legislative elections have been contested, while the battle concerning the presidential continues

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - The Democratic Republic of Congo continues to live in a rather complex political stalemate. While President Joseph Kabila swore in on December 20, his principle opposer, Etienne Tshisekedi (who claims to have won the presidential elections held on November 28) on December 23 had announced a ceremony of "swearing in" at the stadium of the Martyrs in Kinshasa. The police had blocked access roads to the structure and so Tshisekedi swore in his house, attended by dozens of his supporters and political leaders of the opposition. Tshisekedi continues to claim to be the "President-elect".
"How to break the deadlock? Joseph Kabila and Etienne Tshisekedi and Vital Kamerhe’s two main opponents propose that the international community helps to create an 'Audit Committee' of the presidential election results. Everything should be re-examined: the lists of voters, the votes for exemption and, of course, the counting of ballots", is what is said in a statement sent to Fides by the Peace Network for Congo. "The Congolese Electoral Commission (INEC) is publishing the partial results of the legislative elections, which were held simultaneously with the presidential elections. But many candidates who lost denounced irregularities and fraud everywhere. The commission had even suspended the compilation of the results, pending the arrival of a group of international experts who could help make the results more credible", the statement continues.
The Peace Network for Congo points out that, in the political battle, the local population is the loser: "The Congolese people have suffered too much already. The rebellion of the first five years after independence, the thirty years of dictatorship, the eight-year war with over six million victims, the last 5 years with irresponsible politicians (corruption, illicit enrichment, violations of human rights and constitutional principles) but always protected by impunity".
"The Congolese people cannot stand that their women continue to be raped every day, cannot afford to pay their teachers’ monthly salary, do not tolerate any more that army leaders are war criminals, they no longer accept that mineral wealth is exploited illegally by international mining companies, without any economic benefit for local people".
"The Congolese people demand the truth concerning the polls in order to continue on the path of democracy, justice, respect for human rights, peace and development" concludes the statement on behalf of the association promoted by the missionaries operating in the DRC. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 11/01/2012)