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    November 27, 2011

DRC Prepares For Vote Following Violence in Capital

   Scott Stearns | Kinshasa
   People walk under a giant poster showing Democratic Republic of the
   Congo 's President and candidate for a second term Joseph Kabila, in
   Kinshasa, November 7, 2011. Photo: AFP
   People walk under a giant poster showing Democratic Republic of the
   Congo 's President and candidate for a second term Joseph Kabila, in
   Kinshasa, November 7, 2011.

   Democratic Republic of Congo Prepares For Vote Following Violence in
   Capital
   10 candidates challenging incumbent president Joseph Kabila, some of
   them already claiming electoral fraud
   DATE: 11/27/11
   BYLINE: Scott Stearns
   DATELINE: Kinshasa
   NUMBER: 1675706
   TYPE: CR ))
   ((INTRO:))
   Voters in the Democratic Republic of Congo are preparing for Monday's
   presidential and legislative elections with opposition candidates
   already claiming fraud following violence in the capital in which at
   least two people were killed.
   Electoral commission vice president Jacques Djoli Eseng'Ekeli says
   ballots and ballot boxes are being delivered by helicopter to remote
   polling stations in this country the size of Western Europe.
   Eseng'Ekeli says there may be some difficulties for some people to find
   the right place to vote, but he expects that everyone will eventually
   be able to cast their ballots.
   In just the second multi-party election since independence, and the
   first to be organized entirely by Congolese, the logistic challenges
   are as enormous at the country itself. With more than 18,000 people
   running for 500 seats in the national assembly, voters at some polling
   stations in the capital will receive ballots more than 50 pages long.
   Electoral observer David Pottie from the US-based Carter Center says
   electoral officials are working overtime to get the job done by Monday
   morning.
   "There is a very real concern that not all the requisite number of
   ballot papers will get to the proper places on time to allow for the
   opening of the polls," he said.
   There are ten candidates challenging incumbent president Joseph Kabila.
   Some of them are already claiming electoral fraud. Opposition candidate
   Vital Kamerhe showed reporters what he said were ballot papers already
   marked for the president.
   Saturday's final day of campaigning in the capital was canceled because
   of security concerns about rival rallies by Kabila supporters, Kamerhe
   supporters, and supporters of the long-time opposition leader Etienne
   Tshisekedi.
   Tshisekedi supporters came to Kinshasa's airport to escort their
   candidate into town. But he was blocked by riot police for more than
   ten hours. By the time his convoy was allowed to leave, just before
   Midnight, crowds that had gathered to greet him had all gone home.
   Tshisekedi says a small minority of what he calls "thieves and killers"
   control Congo and are blocking political meetings of the majority, and
   he questions why they are allowed to do so.
   Kinshasa police chief Jean de Dieu Oleko says all of the rallies -
   including President Kabila's - were canceled to preserve public order.
   The government has accused Tshisekedi of treason for already declaring
   himself president. In the run up to this vote, Tshisekedi and Kabila
   supporters have clashed repeatedly - both here in the capital and in
   Congo's second-largest city Lubumbashi.
   The Carter Center's David Pottie says the electoral commission has
   worked hard to stay on track throughout a contentious campaign.
   "It's not responsible for the conduct of the campaign itself. That's up
   to the political parties and candidates. But it's gotten through a
   relatively successful campaign period. Yes, there have been some major
   incidents and some deaths, but these I don't think have resulted in a
   mass, public rejection of the electoral process. Far from it," said
   David Pottie.
   U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on all Congolese
   political leaders to exercise restraint ahead of Monday's vote. In a
   written statement, he said politicians and their supporters should
   respect the constitution and electoral laws and use legal means to
   settle any disputes about the outcome.

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