DRC Election Commission Schedules Next Presidential Election In December 2023

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to hold presidential elections on December 20, 2023, the country’s electoral commission announced on Saturday, reported The Africa News.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) made the announcement during an official ceremony organized in DRC’s capital Kinshasa on Saturday. The electoral body outlined several challenges including the logistics of transporting ballot materials, health concerns about Ebola and COVID-19, and the ongoing unrest that has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

The DRC government has also pledged to stick to the scheduled election timetable in the country of 80 million people.

“It is not a question of negotiating with the constitutional deadlines, it is a question of us respecting them and consolidating our democracy,” said government spokesman Patrick Muyaya.

He said that the upcoming election is expected to cost about $600m, more than $450m of which has already been budgeted.

The last presidential poll in the DRC, which was the country’s first democratic transition, was delayed by two years until it was finally held in December 2018. President Felix Tshisekedi won the 2018 election and took over from his longstanding predecessor Joseph Kabila.

The name of other presidential candidates are expected to be announced in October next year, and a final list will be out in November.

Tshisekedi is most likely to run again as the Congolese law allows for only two presidential terms. One of his main challengers is Martin Fayulu, who claimed victory in the 2018 election.

Despite presence of the United Nations’ largest peacekeeping forces in the DRC, over 120 armed groups continue to operate across the east, including M23 rebels.

The DRC government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels. But, Kigali denies the allegations.

A mini-summit held last week in Luanda decided on an immediate ceasefire, but the M23 rebel group has refused accept the deal and called for a direct dialogue with the government.