Five key issues at stake in the DR Congo’s crucial election
Al JazeeraNov 30, 2023
The Facts
After a nearly three-hour delay, some 44M voters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) headed to the polls to cast their ballots in the presidential election on Wednesday. Issues that have arisen include people not seeing their names on voting lists and smudged ink on voting cards, making them illegible and resulting in their votes being discarded.
In the city of Bunia, located in the country's violence-plagued eastern region, security forces reportedly fired warning shots after a voting station was vandalized and kits were destroyed amid protests by displaced citizens who want to vote in their hometowns. Authorities sought extra helicopters to open polling stations in areas lacking good roads or security.
The Spin
Narrative A
Pres. Tshisekedi has not only done well for himself given the geopolitical and economic circumstances of the DRC, but he's done so as an underdog. While things certainly aren't perfect right now, Tshisekedi could win this election and build upon his successful accession into the East African Community and post-pandemic economic growth.
Narrative B
The Congolese people shouldn't accept any election outcome if these widespread irregularities aren't fixed. Given the fact that the 2018 election was not fully accepted, 2023 should be one where every vote is counted and the voting process is tightly monitored. If it takes more time to ensure election integrity, then so be it.