DRC IEC gears up for local polls

The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) of the Democratic Republic of Congo has launched operations for the updating of the country’s electoral register on 7 June 2009 in the City of Kinshasa, capital of the country. This is part of preparations for the upcoming local and general elections, which are scheduled for early next year and 2011 respectively.

 The current process is intended to enable Congolese citizens who were unable to register in 2005, including first time voters who will have reached the voting age of 18 by 2011, to do so. Registered voters who have changed their residential address will be given a chance to update their registration details. Those who have lost their voter cards will be able to apply for new ones. 

 The United Nations Mission in the DRC, Monuc, reports that operations got off to a slow start on the first day, but picked up later as Kinshasa citizens eventually turned up in their numbers at many of the 143 registration offices.

 The CEI President, Apollinaire Malu Malu, accompanied by the Congolese Minister of Interior, Célestin Mbuyu, the Governor of Kinshasa, André Kimbuta, and the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in the DRC, Ross Mountain, visited several registration offices in Kinshasa.

 Mr Mountain noted that operations were going well. He commended the CEI for the work done and came to the conclusion that “the train is indeed underway”. 

 Mr Mbuyu and Mr Kimbuta added their voice to commend the CEI for the job well done. They went on to call upon political parties to send their members to registration centres for massive enrolment to avoid any later protest. 

 The DRC held its first general elections in over 40 years in July 2006, bringing to an end a 16-year old political transition. Local elections were initially scheduled to follow in 2007, but failed to materialize due to various constraints, including financial. The polls have, ever since, been repeatedly postponed. The CEI indicates that the local polls would take place sometime in early 2010 with no further precision.

The electoral register updating in Kinshasa and Bas-Congo Province, both situated in the south western part of the DRC, will run until 5 August 2009. The process will continue in the other nine provinces of the country from 2 August to 30 September 2009.

The Additional information from: MONUC, the United Nations Mission in the DRC