At the end of five days of the work of the 60th plenary session, the bishops of the DRC affirm that the Catholic Church will play the role of electoral observation provided that there are guarantees of transparency. For this, a commission has been set up to monitor the electoral process.
With our correspondent in Lubumbashi, Denise Mahého
“ For credible elections, Congolese people, wake up from your sleep is the message of the National Episcopal Commission of the Congo (Cenco) made public this Friday in Lubumbashi.
Above all, Cenco calls for the establishment of a tripartite consultation framework that includes the majority in power, the opposition and civil society. It also requires an external audit of the electoral register, otherwise it withdraws from the process.
“ If it has nothing to hide, the Ceni should not hesitate for this second opinion which will not disturb the deadlines. But if the Cenco and the ECC (Church of Christ in Congo) conclude that we are not in the conditions to observe elections, then what is being prepared are not elections that we can recommend to the population “Explains Monsignor Donatien Nshole, the spokesperson for Cenco.
In their message, the bishops were very severe towards candidates who only serve their own interests, “ opportunists who change sides, simply for matters of interest “. Thus, the bishops advise against voting for those who come with their family members as substitutes, against voting for tribalists and nepotists, and those who buy consciences “.
Finally, Cenco recommends that the population remain vigilant in case the results do not reflect the truth of the polls. She is already announcing that she would use peaceful voices.