Kinshasa, 01 September, 2023 / 8:50 pm (ACI Africa).
Catholic Bishops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are ready to help members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) “reinforce confidence” ahead of general elections slated for December 20.
In a Monday, August 28 interview with Top Congo FM, the Secretary General of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) said DRC’s Constitution gives citizens, including Catholic Bishops, the right to information necessary for the advancement of the Central African nation.
“Following CENCO's concerns about the poor perception of the work carried out by CENI, which has led to the population's distrust of the voter register, in addition to the contestation of the same file by certain political players, and the instability of the country, CENCO wants to help CENI to reinforce confidence,” Mons. Donatien Nshole said.
Mons. Nshole added, “If the elections take place in a climate of mistrust, I wouldn't be surprised if we were faced with a crisis after the elections, one that the whole country would regret.”
“Our demands are simple. As observers, we are not seeking access to CENI's complete voter register. We have proposed a software that would allow random selection of a sample of voters. This file would include the names of registered voters and their addresses,” the CENCO Secretary General explained.
