Kinshasa, DRC — This Wednesday, countless Congolese people vote in among the most expected elections of 2023. The high-stakes vote might represent the 2nd serene civilian-to-civilian shift in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s history considering that self-reliance from Belgium in June 1960.
There have actually been installing issues about openness, specifically after the European Union observer objective took out and numerous countless individuals in locations in the unstable east are not able to vote since of spiralling insecurity from armed groups.
Al Jazeera talked to Denis Kadima, president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) on its preparedness for the election, in the capital, Kinshasa.
Excerpts from the interview:
Al Jazeera: How ready are you for the elections on Wednesday?
Denis Kadima: The procedure is working out. We have actually dealt with a great deal of difficulties. The very first came since we were designated really late– 28 months of hold-up in designating our group made it really hard for us. We have actually been able to do whatever that is needed to run an election, beginning with citizen registration up to where we are now.
And we have actually handled to do it in a brief duration since our election calendar is extremely limiting, and we might not squander a single day. Otherwise, the procedure will remain in threat. We have actually made substantial development. We have actually released in the majority of the nation.
Naturally, there are constantly locations that are tough to gain access to. In a few of the provinces, you have swamps, mountains, rivers, no excellent roadways or bridges, and so on. That’s why, at some phase, I asked for the federal government to provide us helicopters so we can move quicker.
And these have actually just begun coming now, which is a bit late, however whatever that comes our method, we take it. Broadly speaking, I can state that regardless of these significant difficulties, the procedure is on track. This is a cyclical concern. 5 years back, throughout that election, we were discussing the very same problems.
Al Jazeera: What do you believe requirements to be done moving forward to make certain that CENI is ready efficiently to manage an election like this?
Kadima: Of all, the visit of the commission is a really prolonged and complex procedure that can paralyse the nation. We require to have an easier method of doing it.
That, we can’t be holding elections throughout the rainy season. They ought to press it towards July, when it’s dry season.
Apart from that, in the long term, we need to have much better facilities due to the fact that whatever is done by airplane; due to the fact that the nation is huge and the roadways are bad. Financing has actually been coming gradually and this has actually resulted in us being not able to send out the items by sea.
We do practically whatever by air which features a big expense. We require to draw lessons from one procedure to the other and discover the time to fix by gaining from what’s taken place before.
We do not constantly have whatever that we desire. This year, the federal government had rather some treasury issues. That’s why it took place that method.
Al Jazeera: So with the resources that you have, do you believe that you can manage a reliable election?
Kadima: If you offer me $100, I’ll run a great election, however if you just provide me $50, I’ll still run an election. We attempt to do as much as we can to hold quality elections. Among our goals is to enhance from one cycle to the next. We can’t show the weak points of the past. Obviously, if we have cash previously, we can do much better.
If it comes late, the quality might suffer. Eventually, we are an establishing nation. We still require to sustain our elections which costs excessive. A few of the important things, if they are done on time, will cost less.
Al Jazeera: Some Congolese have actually grumbled about the electoral procedure up until now.
Kadima: I believe they are being unjust. There are political groups in this nation that are not all set for elections due to the fact that they never ever think that we’ll pull it off in such a brief duration. Their technique the whole time has actually been to challenge the procedure; no matter what we do, they will never ever acknowledge what we’ve done. There are even civil society groups, whose leaders, much of whom were prospects for this position I’m in and they tend to be subjective.
The Catholic Church has its own prospects. The Protestant Church had its own prospects. I was the fortunate one, and perhaps they simply desire to show a point to reveal that they were right when they didn’t desire me. It was simply a political video game in which I had the upper hand. I think that the finest method to evaluate us is to compare where we are coming from: 2011, 2018 and 2023.
Throughout this procedure, you will see a great deal of openness. We have actually been really inclusive. Individuals who remain in exile, not able to send their candidateship documents, today they are prospects.
We have actually … gone from 35,000 prospects in 2018 to 100,000 prospects this year. That’s how open it is. We advised to parliament to make long-lasting observation of elections part of the legal structure due to the fact that our company believe observers have a function to play in the openness of the procedure.
We were the ones who informed individuals that there were 3.3 million individuals who must not have actually been on the citizens’ list since they’ve signed up more than as soon as, some are minor, and so on. For the outcomes, we are going to release them, ballot station by ballot station. We’ve attempted really difficult and you can see that the criticism that we get tends not to be constantly authentic.
In an electoral procedure, if you wish to see if the commission is working relatively or not, you require to see if the issues taking place throughout the procedure are impacting just some groups and not others. If you take a look at every issue we’ve had, it has actually impacted the entire nation similarly and when we resolve it, we likewise resolve it similarly. And I believe lots of appreciate, apart from those political leaders who have actually chosen that they require this procedure to be obstructed so they can have some sort of discussion that will culminate in the development of a federal government of nationwide unity. I do not believe this nation requires to go through that type of unpredictability.
Al Jazeera: Some political leaders asked the Constitutional Court for post ponement of the elections which has actually been rejected. Is that something you would think about if, in these couple of days, whatever is not in location?
Kadima: We do not desire post ponement just due to the fact that in this nation we should develop a regimen of holding elections regularly however likewise on time. There will constantly be issues to deal with even if they offer us 6 more months due to the fact that it might be an issue of financing or security. There will constantly be some issues, however we need to progress.
I’m not stating that we need to overlook elements of the procedure simply to satisfy the due date. We have actually done the optimum with the resources that we got within the timeframe that we had, which was brief. [But] the nation has more to get by holding to the date than if we needed to delay.
A lot of those who are stating hold off, if it takes place, they’ll be the very first to stand and state, oh, you must not have actually held off and after that they will produce more issues. There will constantly be some issues, however we’ll resolve them as they unfold.
Al Jazeera: In the east, 6.5 million individuals are displaced and lots of were not able to sign up or return home to vote. What do you state to this?
Kadima: The law, the method it is created, you have broadly 2 kinds of displaced individuals. The very first group is comprised of those individuals who go to their family members. Those ones we sign up as if they were locals of those locations. Those who are in IDP camps are signed up and assigned to the location they came from.
As an outcome, due to the fact that they are expected to be in those camps briefly, they are expected to vote at their homes. Regrettably, the scenario ended up being even worse and they discovered themselves running once again and it’s not sure that they’ve gone back to those camps. They might have gone to some other locations. It has actually simply made it extremely made complex for us to trace them back. The bottom line is when we recuperate peace, they might have missed out on the governmental election, however they will be able to get involved in the [elections to] National Assembly, provincial assemblies, and regional councils.
That’s the cost to pay, however as a nation, we are the victim. We can’t be blamed for what took place to our fellow citizens and females.
Al Jazeera: How do you remain reasonable to everybody included as CENI president?
Kadima: Everybody will constantly blame you for something. It’s a great deal of pressure and duty. With that variety of individuals, 100,000 prospects, just a couple thousand individuals will be chosen.
All these others will dislike us due to the fact that they will not make it. Nobody ever accepts defeat. Those are the truths. It’s part of the culture that we require to construct along the method. We require to make elections a regular where individuals comprehend that I might lose now, [but] in 5 years, if I gain from my error, I’ll win. And the more we do it, the more individuals will begin internalising such democratic [principles]
The interview has actually been somewhat modified for brevity.