By Poor management of elections process raises stakes further
By Tajudeen Hamzat
Akead of critical polls taking place on Sunday, politicians in the Democratic Republic of Congo are caught in a frantic groping for peace.
This is on account of the very poor management of the elections process by the government of outgoing President Joseph Kabila and the Central Elections Commission, CENI.
The three leading candidates in the presidential contest, former Interior Minister, Emmanuel Shadary, businessman Felix Thikeshedi and lawmaker, Martin Fayulu were still being expected to sign a ‘good conduct’ pact as at Saturday night.
Analysts say that the core of the problem is traceable to the reluctance of Kabila to give up power even after his final term in office lapsed in December 2016.
If successful, this election would result in the first peaceful, democratic transfeer of power since the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) became an independent nation in the 1960s.
The DRC’s first elected Prime Minister, the populist, Patrice Lumumba was killed in mysterious circumstances shortly after Independence in a dastardly plot that had reportedly involved American, Beligian and local military actors who were worried that under his rule, the country, which is reputed as being about the single richest piece of real estate on earth on account of its vast and extensive mineral assets, would leave their sphere of influence..
Outgoing President Joseph Kabila
Comments