The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) on Friday announced the invalidation of over 80 elected candidates in the National and Local elections for alleged electoral fraud with several top government officials in the Fèlix Tshisekedi regime making the controversial list.
Several Ministers and Governors including Minister of Tourism Didier Manzenga, Kinshasa Governor Gentiny Ngobila and others have had their election cancelled after following their involvements in acts of electoral malpractice.
The civil society in the Democratic Republic of Congo have since called for the removal of the implicated individuals from public office to ensure there is no interference in the route to justice.
“What is very important to note and welcome is the fact that the CENI has indiscriminately sanctioned all candidates, including those from the ruling parties including serving ministers, provincial governors, senators and many other personalities” local NGO Voice of the Voiceless (VSV) Executive Director Rostin Manketa said in a statement.
“And this, it must be emphasized, bodes well for democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In principle, although benefiting from the presumption of innocence, all these candidates sanctioned by the CENI should resign from their functions in With a view to enabling Congolese justice to do its job better, congratulations to the CENI for this first step” he said.
Meanwhile, the VSV have also welcomed the decision by CENI to cancel and invalidate the elections that were characterized by fraud, corruption, intimidation and vandalism perpetrated by candidates in the legislative, provincial and municipal elections.
