What's At Stake in the Upcoming DRC Elections

As the war between the government army and the March 23 Movement continues to rage in parts of North Kivu, the Congolese people are heading to the polls to elect their leaders. Twenty-two presidential candidates have been registered by the country’s electoral commission but, as the election date of December 20 draws closer, more concerns arise over how the electoral process will fare.

Presidential hopefuls Matata Ponyo, Delly Sessanga, Franck Diongo, and Seth Kikuni, withdrew their candidacies to align with Moïse Katumbi, who is perceived in public opinion as the primary opponent of current president Félix Tshisekedi. Tshisekedi is seeking a second and final term. Other prominent challengers include Dr. Denis Mukwege, the winner of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his work with rape survivors and Martin Fayulu — whose loss to Tshisekedi in the 2018 election has been contested by leaked election data from the Independent National Electoral Commission and a joint investigation by The Financial Timesand Radio France Internationale.

Expectations and hopes of young Congolese

OkayAfrica spoke to a number of young people in the Congo regarding the electoral process, and a general feeling of disillusionment and skepticism emerged. Several express a total loss of confidence in the Congolese political class. Many of them even admit their intention not to participate in the elections, believing that it will have no substantial impact. Ralph Sikumbili, 35, illustrates this perception by pointing out that, in his opinion, the ongoing electoral process will not change the current political structure in any way. "In reality, it will not change anything," he says, stating that he will not participate in the vote, and will stay at home.

Bertin Muhongya shares the sense of urgency for change but raises the crucial question of who is capable of change and who could truly bring about the transformation that the country needs. For now, he believes that the person capable of doing so has not yet been identified.

Reina Becky, 26, approaches the elections with clearly defined expectations. "I aspire to tangible and positive achievements such as a well-organized army, efficient management, and increased power,” the future magistrate told OkayAfrica. “I also wish for a balanced social environment to fight against corruption, access to quality healthcare, motivated and well-paid teachers, and a president focused on action rather than rhetoric.”

In contrast to the prevailing skepticism, Emery Kahongya, 28, is optimistic about the electoral process, hoping that it will take place peacefully and fairly. He acknowledges the presence of dissenting supporters after the results but calls for serenity and trust in the professionalism of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). Emery expresses his support for the current government, applauding the visible initial results of its policies. He highlights persistent challenges such as insecurity in the eastern part of the country and the volatility of the exchange rate but emphasizes, "the need to consolidate achievements by renewing trust in the outgoing president to complete his development program."

Excluded in the name of security

Insecurity is certain to disrupt voting in many parts of the country. Along with the attacks carried out by the M23, other rebel groups continue to create harm and havoc. This is the case in several villages in the Beni territory and Ituri, where the terrorist fighters of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) continue to target civilian populations, spreading terror and death. A similar security situation is also observed in Kwamouth in the west of the country, where clashes are taking place between two communities.

Following this situation, the electoral commission announced that some regions will be excluded from the voting operations. These include the territories of Rutshuru and Masisi in North Kivu and Kwamouth in Maindombe. This decision has reportedly “saddened” President Tshisekedi, according to an excerpt from his recent address to the nation.

But the decision raises concerns among residents like Bienvenu Uwimana, a motorcycle taxi driver in Rutshuru, who believes that it creates a “sense of abandonment.” As he told OkayAfrica, "It gives the impression that this part no longer belongs to the country. How are we going to elect our national and provincial members of parliament? We still don't understand which formula will be applied by the authorities.”

At the same time, Kasereka, a farmer and father of two who fled from Kiwanja with his family to Goma, does not hide his frustration with the apparent inability of the Congolese state to deal with the conflict in North Kivu. "They have had more than a year to resolve this situation,” says Kasereka, who gave an interview on the condition that only his first name was published. “We wonder how they have reached an agreement with the foreign troops there, the Kenyans, the Ugandans, and others. It's all revolting. This part evidently no longer belongs to us.”

Various political figures from the opposition have expressed their concern at the exclusion of certain regions from the electoral process. Among them, Patrick Mundeke, an advisor to Katumbi, strongly criticized it. “This is clearly an organized political fraud by the incumbent power, Mundeke, originally from the North Kivu province," he told OkayAfrica. “Excluding certain regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo from the electoral process is very dangerous and can impact the election of the president itself. In the Congolese context, this is extremely serious. Knowing the realities of this country, 1 percent can make a difference.”

No UN electoral observers

Three weeks before the presidential election, the European Union announced the cancellation of its electoral observation mission, citing “technical constraints." The EU had previously stated that its electoral observers dispatched to the DRC were unable to "deploy throughout the country due to security concerns," thus rendering their mission "impossible.”

Despite the reservations in public opinion regarding the organization of elections in general, electoral chief Denis Kadima remains reassuring. "Let no one have illusions because the electoral commission is working morning, noon, and night to organize the elections at the end of this year," he declared in early November. “I would really like to urge the Congolese not to rely on what is said but to believe in what the electoral commission is undertaking because we want to be part of the solution and not the problem.”