Election day has arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with voting now underway for a crucial general election. The current president, Felix Tshisekedi, is facing off against a divided opposition, as the eastern region continues to struggle with ongoing conflict.
Polling stations began operation at 6am on Wednesday, with the east starting at 0400 GMT and the west starting at 0500 GMT. They will remain open until 5pm local time. The initial voters voted at a polling station in Kisangani, located in the eastern city of the country. This region is one hour ahead of the western part of the country, which covers two time zones.
Voting subsequently commenced in various other cities, albeit with delays and bureaucratic challenges.
A man in his thirties, standing in line for three hours in Goma, expressed frustration and stated he may soon give up. He added, “We’re exhausted. This place is always chaotic.”
The organization of the election has been troubled by logistical issues, as the electoral commission has faced difficulties in delivering voting materials to numerous polling stations within the designated timeframe.
Voting booths in Kinshasa finally opened at 9am after experiencing significant delays in preparation.
“I arrived at this location at 5am and I’m exhausted,” stated Germaine Kikongo, a 67-year-old government employee, while at a voting station in the Lingwala district of Kinshasa at 8am.
According to an official from the electoral commission, voters who are still in line at 5pm will receive tokens and the polling booths will remain open until they have voted.
The government announced that Wednesday will be a bank holiday. Similar to past elections, they have closed the borders and halted domestic flights.
Out of the 100 million citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo, approximately 44 million are eligible to participate in the election process for their president, members of national and provincial assemblies, and local council members.
Over 100,000 individuals are competing for different roles, and although tallying will commence once polling stations shut down, outcomes are not anticipated to be declared until several days later.
A number of monitoring operations will monitor the voting procedure, with the most extensive one led by a coalition of Catholic and Protestant churches deploying 25,000 election monitors. The leaders of this highly influential mission have pledged to carry out a “parallel tally” for the presidential election.
60-year-old Tshisekedi is up against 18 opponents. The current leader, who began his term in 2019 and is seeking re-election for another five years, is expected to be the top contender in the one-round presidential election.
Tshisekedi’s performance, as he has admitted, has been a mixture of successes and failures. While he has overseen a period of economic growth, there has been little progress in job creation and inflation has risen significantly. He is seeking re-election in order to further solidify his achievements.
During the entire campaign, he openly criticized what he referred to as “foreign candidates,” insinuating that his rivals have divided loyalties and are incapable of standing up against Rwanda. The DRC has accused Rwanda of supporting rebel groups within its borders.
Moïse Katumbi, a 58-year-old entrepreneur and former governor of the resource-rich province of Katanga, is the primary focus of these assaults.
The ongoing election campaign has been greatly impacted by the armed conflict in eastern DRC. For many years, militias have been a persistent issue in the troubled region, stemming from previous regional conflicts that erupted in the 1990s and 2000s.
Tensions have reignited following the takeover of significant areas by the M23 group, reportedly receiving support from Rwanda, in late 2021. While clashes with M23 soldiers have lessened in recent weeks, the rebels remain in control of extensive portions of North Kivu province. Residents in these regions will not have the opportunity to participate in voting.
Additional contenders for the presidency include 67-year-old Martin Fayulu, a former oil industry leader who claims to be the rightful victor of the 2018 election that resulted in Tshisekedi’s rise to authority.
Denis Mukwege, a 68-year-old gynecologist, was awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in aiding victims of rape. He is currently also a candidate in the running.
The primary contenders from the opposing party express their suspicion that the government is planning to commit election fraud.
Flory Tshimanga, a 32-year-old who sells mobile phone credits in Kinshasa, expressed confidence that the voting process would go smoothly. However, he did mention potential issues once the results are announced.
Source: theguardian.com
