DRC poised for election despite concerns over a repetition of history: summary
What we know
- Human Rights Watch claimed 24 people lost their lives and several others were detained by DRC security forces after they disputed the declaration of then-president Joseph Kabila as the winner of the December 9, 2011 election
- The DRC election commission (CENI) controversially declared Felix Tshisekedi as the winner of the December 30, 2018 presidential election
- Felix Tshisekedi, after winning the 2018 election, became the first opposition to win the presidential election since the DR Congo gained independence in 1960 after 18 years of Joseph Kabila as president
- CENI announced in October that 24 candidates, including current President Felix Tshisekedi, have officially declared their candidacy ahead of the December 20 presidential election
- The head of CENI, Denis Kadima goes on an awareness campaign to dismiss fears of the past elections
- The head of CENI Kadima claims CENI has increased voter registration to 43.9 million, in comparison to 40.4 million in 2018
What they said
"CENI has a very bad reputation. The 2011 elections, followed by the 2018 elections, have left many people so disappointed with the institution," said Kadima. "It will be an improved process in terms of inclusiveness first of all," said Denis Kadima on his rebranding tour in Washington. A few of the 24 presidential candidates were prevented from taking part in the 2018 elections, he added.
