Congo-Kinshasa: Country Prepares Itself for Elections

July 26, 2006 - (Business Day) The election in Democratic Republic of the Congo will be the most expensive to be supported by the United Nations (UN), costing the international community as much as $400m to give the country a new start. On Sunday, more than 25-million registered voters will go to the polls to elect a president and parliamentary representatives. Incumbent President Joseph Kabila is considered a favourite, though yesterday opposition demonstrators rioted in the capital, pulling down his campaign posters.

Foreign troops, including 780 from Germany, are on the ground to help quell violence. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany saw the election as a chance for lasting peace in Congo. There are 17000 UN Mission to the Congo troops in the country, helping to disarm militias and preparing for the election. But this force does not have the best reputation in Congo. It was not able to prevent civilian massacres in 2003 and its members have been accused of sexually exploiting local women and girls.

But what matters to the Congolese are the elections, on which many are setting great hopes. Too great a hope, say many political analysts. "The expectations are about as great as shortly before independence," says one western diplomat. "This can lead to bitter disappointments in a few months." The country has almost no experience with democracy, and the role of the opposition is still uncertain. The government is the result of negotiations that in 2002 ended the five-year civil war. Kabila has so far governed with four vice-presidents who represent the interests of former warring parties. In the mineral-rich east of the country, militias are still active and terrorise the population. Government critics suggest there are some in power who have an interest in keeping the conflict alive so they can use the chaos as cover to do a lucrative business in raw materials in the region.

UN officials in Bukavu said, however, that the run-up to the election was on track. "The situation is normal. There are pockets of insecurity and the situation is not perfect but we are hopeful the election will go ahead without disruption," UN spokeswoman Jacqueline Chenard said. "People should be able to cast their ballots as planned." Posing the greatest threat to the election is a force of about 2000 under the command of renegade Gen Laurent Nkunda, an estranged member of RCD-Goma.

RCD-Goma was a main player in the civil war, when it was backed by Rwanda. RCD-Goma itself retains significant military power, but it is disproportionate to the party's electoral base, so there are concerns the elections may persuade other dissatisfied RCD-Goma members to throw in their lot with Nkunda. There are rumours about Nkunda's intentions and the possibility he may try to disrupt the election by leading a rebellion. His troops occupied Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, for a week just more than two years ago, in what remains the government's biggest crisis to date. "We have heard nothing of substance about Nkunda during the past few days, despite continuing rumours," said one UN source. Nkunda is based in the remote reaches of North Kivu province.

The country's humanitarian situation is desperate. Aid organisations say about 1200 people die daily due to the effects of the conflict, hunger and disease. Tens of thousands have left their villages for fear of the militias or marauding government troops. They cannot work their fields and are dependent on food aid. The UN agency World Food Programme had to set up an airlift during the rainy season in Katanga province to supply the population with grain.

As most Congolese await the repeatedly postponed elections, the organisers are experiencing an logistical nightmare. The country is as large as western Europe but has only 500km of paved roads. More than 50000 polling places will have to be set up with ballot boxes, ballots, pens, as well as battery-operated lamps. Despite an enormous election registry fee of $50000, there are 33 presidential candidates, including three vice-presidents and four women. Ballot papers in some areas are six-pages long.

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200607260291.html