As if to pay a deaf ear to the call by the Catholic Supreme Leader Pope Francis who called for a free, fair, credible and transparent election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) has engaged in broad daylight electoral malpractice by issuing multiple voter’s cards to one person and devising plans that will allow prisoners to vote.
A member of the opposition in Kisangani Gustavo Mwamb says it is very shocking that numerous cases of people being found with multiple voter’s cards are being discovered and no action is being taken.
In Kasai region, officials have reported cases of children who have not attained the voting age also being enrolled to vote.
“All this is part of a vote rigging scheme that international observers should take a keen interest. The EU, the US State Department and Civil Society must all be concerned because if the elections are not free and fair, it will create problems for the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Mwamb said.
“Kasai Oriental, for example, we are getting reports that there are people there who are enrolled but have not reached 18 years old. This is not acceptable and we will not let anyone steal this election.”
Another official says the CENI must take extra care in the manner they are conducting elections and the process of registration.
“The CENI must not take advantage of its own turpitude. Or masters a system where they maintain fraud before the polls. A single person. 5 voter cards. This is evidence of serious failures that hides cheating,” another opposition official said in Kinshasa.
Meanwhile, there are multiple plans to put ballot boxes in prisons so that detainees can exercise their right to vote.
There are fears that the decision to allow voters to vote is another way to rig elections because there is no proper control and access to the facilities by independent observers to ensure the vote is free and fair.
President Tshisekedi has been warned that the problem he is facing in the east will be child’s play if his government does not conduct a free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive election.
