AFRICA/CONGO DR - Don Apollinaire Malumalu elected President of the Independent National Electoral Commission

Saturday, 8 June 2013

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - On June 7th Don Apollinaire Malumalu was elected President of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), by the National Assembly, the legislative chamber of the Congolese Democratic Republic Parliament.
Don Malumalu was President of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), which organized and monitored the 2006 presidential elections. The name of the Catholic priest had been indicated by the Subcommittee "religious confessions" on behalf of civil society.
Some Congolese newspapers point out that don Malumalu is considered an expert in organizing elections not only for having organized the 2006 elections but also for his several election observer missions in different parts of the world.
In a note of May 13, the Episcopal Commission of the DRC (CENCO) reaffirmed the prohibition to priests, religious men and women to "participate actively in political parties and associations at a political level, as well as state institutions, at all levels, responsible for organizing the elections " The press release also stated that CENCO "did not present a clergyman to become a member of INEC."
"It goes without saying that if a clergyman is engaged in INEC will go clearly against the canonical norms of the Catholic Church (see canon 287, 672 and 739) and against the common position of the Bishops of CENCO " the statement concluded. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 08/06/2013)


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