The Democratic Republic of Congo went to the polls on Wednesday, 20 December with expectation that the vote would steer a renewed hope for the disadvantaged Congolese population.
However, the election has emerged as just another source of misery for the hopeless nation that has been failed by those mandated to deliver a flawless process.
On the evening of December 22nd, the Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) once again failed in its jurisdiction after failing to release provisional figures of the vote.
The wait, the rumours and anxiety caused by the CENI’s hesitations have began to fuel nervousness amongst the Congolese citizenry.
“The CENI and the government are trying to relieve the pressure, to appease everyone to show that they have control of the situation, that they can be calm but they are not fooling anyone,” explains Jeanot, a young activist of the human rights in Kinshasa.
CENI and government have made efforts to ease the tension that is now perceptible even in homes.
Images of fraud and people being abused have gone around the internet.
“It is impossible to deny them, except by hibernating or squatting in the bars of luxury hotels,” continues the human rights defender who insists on the need to “document these cheats.”
In the work undertaken particularly by a local NGO Congo Liberté, have through its representative, Madame Jeanine Kahimba, have added their voice to the emergence of the sad images that the structure have documented.
“All these videos which have circulated widely are ephemeral, they were all taken by mobiles. They must be stored well. We must also try to identify and certify all the images so as not to be misled by older images or those that do not come from the Congo. These false images can discredit the entire work. We also need to be able to translate into English and French what the witnesses say. It’s a work for history. For our history. Work also so that the international community, very timid until now, cannot say that it did not know.”
The stated objective by this NGO is to ensure the transmission of these videos as quickly as possible to all diplomatic posts and make it available to the media.
“New technical means give us new weapons to be able to fight against the abuses of power. It is now more difficult to cheat and steal the victory of the people.”
For now, the powers that be continue to garnish the distorted election but that undertaking remains impossible as evidence of the failures and sad images of how much of a sham the election has been is too concrete.
