Kinshasa (Fides Service)- The Democratic Republic Congo is preparing for important elections and the local Catholic Church is training diocesan and parish volunteers to help the people understand the electoral process and avail themselves of their citizens’ rights and fulfil their citizens’ duty.
The courses, organised by CARTEC (Co-ordination for a Successful Transition) a special commission set up by the Catholic Bishops will be given in April and May. According to DIA a Catholic news agency in Kinshasa, the programme intends to form 500 diocesan volunteers who in turn will form 50,000 parish volunteers. Formation focuses on five subjects: the Church Social Teaching; democracy; peace and constitution; leadership; electoral education; and will be given by a team of ten formators who have been training through the month of March.
CARTEC has the task of co-ordinating Church initiatives to promote information on civic and electoral process. 36 of Congo’s 47 dioceses have benefited from sessions organised by CARTEC for priests, religious, lay leaders of Church groups and movements, members of the civil society, teachers, delegates of public institutions.
These programmes are undertaken in collaboration with communities of other religions. On 29 July 2004 religious leaders signed an agreement to define areas of collaboration in programmes to prepare the people in view of elections which will end the interim period. CARTEC collaborates also with the independent electoral commission, with the UN mission in Congo MONUC (NGOS operating in the field of education. In view of these courses CARTEC prepared and distributed printed information on how to vote.
This is a delicate moment for Congo at the end of an interim period and interim government established with agreements reached in Sun City (South Africa) in April 2003 and charged with preparing for elections to be held this year. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 21/3/2005 righe 31 parole 347)