Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) President Dénis Kadima Kazadi has called for “selfless” reforms to be made to the country’s electoral process.
Kadima says the reforms will have to be made with a view to improving future electoral processes after a shambolic 2023 General Elections that were recently concluded.
The legitimacy of the 2023 presidential as well as National & Local election results have been widely criticized and doubted due to various irregularities and fraud that characterized the electoral process.
Despite having previously defended the credibility of the CENI in the organizing of the polls, Kadima has now seemingly admitted the 2023 election was majorly affected in certain areas including the scheduling and calls for reforms to be made in order to avoid the irregularities that that elections in the DRC have been faced since 2006.
“I would like to draw the attention of all stakeholders to the fact that since 2006, the electoral processes in the Democratic Republic of Congo have faced the same difficulties and irregularities.
The viability of our young democracy today depends on the lessons learned from our 4 electoral cycles. It is unsustainable that elections continue to be held in rainy periods, while the dry season offers a conducive environment for the deployment and delivery of electoral materials” Kadima said.
The Democratic Republic of Congo held its 4th electoral cycle which has increasingly been criticized by opposition political leaders who have contested the re-election of Félix Tshisekedi with an unrealistic 73.47% margin.
