Delays in the opening of polling centres, problems of routing electoral materials, voting machines in breakdowns … The scocks accumulated during the elections in the DRC, to the point that the electoral commission has decided to extend the voting operations. Decryption in video.

Nearly 44 million Congolese were called to the polls on 20 December to elect the future president of the DRC, national and provincial deputies, as well as the communal councillors. For weeks, logistical challenges have raised fears among many observers that the polls may not be held on time. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (Ceni) has decided to dekeep the timetable.

Unsurprisingly, the cave has multiplied. From the first hours of the polling time, incidents were reported: polling stations that open late or even not open, voting machine not delivered or defective, minutes absent, etc.

These are all problems denounced by the opposition candidates, five of whom even called for the annulment of the ballot and the organisation of new elections.

Tshisekedi Government warning

The National Episcopal Conference of Congo (Cenco) and the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC), two of the most powerful religious organizations in the Congo, which had deployed 25,000 observers on the ground, also reported numerous irregularities. Pastor Eric Senga of the ECC even spoke of a “chaotic day”.

Félix Tshisekedi, in the running for a second term, did not speak on the conduct of the vote. Jacquemain Shabani, its campaign manager, however, called for calm and “not to give in to manipulation,” denouncing what he called “negative and counterproductive messages for democracy and the electoral process.” A government-relayed request, which “refused not to rely on rumors on social media to disrupt the ongoing electoral process”.

Denis Kadima, President of Ceni, wanted to put the scale of the difficulties encountered into perspective, while endeciding to extend the voting operations by an additional day to allow as far as Congolese voters to put their ballot in the ballot box by an additional day. An extension he defended in the name of la“justice”.