Voting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s elections has been extended until Thursday due to problems at several polling stations

Opposition candidates point to the “constitutional impossibility” of extending the voting period

Madrid, December 21 (European Press) –

The Independent National Electoral Commission (Ceni) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has decided that voting will continue on Thursday at polling stations that had problems opening during December 20, the official date of the general election.

Sini’s president, Denis Kadima, who did not specify the number of offices involved, announced in an interview with state television, RTNC, that voting centers opened later would remain open after their official closure to “allow every voter” to vote.

For its part, the Congolese government encouraged the Electoral College “to take the necessary measures to allow all Congolese to vote and to respond to some of the difficulties encountered”, while celebrating the “massive mobilization” of the population in the elections “which took place, in the general, things are going well”, and condemned the actions “Observed sabotage” in the country.

However, several opposition electoral candidates called on the authorities, civil society and the international community to call for the elections to be held without irregularities with a modified electoral commission, stressing that the constitution and the electoral law specify that the elections cannot be extended. To a new day.

“Legally, there is no possible exception on election day. The exception concerns only the opening and closing dates. Such an exception must be justified for the time, not the day, and can only be determined under conditions that guarantee equality between citizens before voting in the elections. According to the provisions,” It was stated in a joint statement.

Hence, they pointed out “the constitutional and legal impossibility of the National Transitional Council deviating from the appointed day” of the elections, and considered that “to act otherwise would mean seizing power by force and exercising it in violation of the Constitution.”

Five of the 19 presidential candidates signed the text, including candidate Martin Fayulu – who was defeated by incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi in the second round of the 2018 elections – and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege.

About 44 million people will elect the president, parliament and their representatives in regional and local assemblies, and the vote will mark the first time the country has held elections after a democratic transition – following the 2018 elections, when Tshisekedi succeeded Joseph Kabila since independence. In 1960. Tshisekedi aspires to a second term as head of the African country after a tense campaign.

Tshisekedi, the son of historic opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi – who died in 2017 – faces a total of 21 candidates after a campaign characterized by mistrust in the role of the Electoral Commission and episodes of violence during various campaign activities by prominent opponents. This time, the elections are taking place despite calls from some opponents to postpone, especially due to growing insecurity in the east, where dozens of armed groups operate, including one linked to the Islamic State.