The United Nations Security Council has called for credible elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after yet another delay in the polls.
The country’s electoral commission, CENI, announced on Thursday that the presidential, parliamentary and provincial elections, which were previously scheduled for December 23, will be held on December 30.
In a statement, the members of the Security Council expressed their hope that this delay will permit the creation of favorable conditions for the Congolese people to express themselves freely.
They called for continuous dialogue and transparency with all political stakeholders during this period in order to ensure trust is maintained until the elections are held.
The country’s leading opposition parties on Friday read mischief in the delayed vote adding that would not tolerate further delays to the presidential vote.
They called on all parties to engage peacefully and constructively in the electoral process to ensure transparent, peaceful and credible elections that will result in a transfer of power in accordance with the constitution and the Dec. 31, 2016 Agreement.
DRC elections were long overdue.
The Agreement allowed President Joseph Kabila, who has been in power since 2001, to stay on after his term of office had expired, on the condition that elections would be held within 2017.
But elections were delayed on the grounds of logistics, triggering unrest. In November 2017, the country’s electoral commission announced the new electoral date of Dec. 23, 2018.
