by Juakali Kambale – SANF 06 No 4
Prospects for the first democratic elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo in over 40 years and a return to sustainable peace have brightened following the decision by key opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi to participate in the March polls.
A leading figure in Congolese politics over the past four decades, Tshisekedi announced on 2 January that he would be taking part in the elections, ending a two-year boycott that saw him and his Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDSP) miss out on a historical peace deal signed in 2003.
After boycotting the electoral process for the last two years, Tshisekedi said he had decided to rejoin the process and contribute to the development of the vast southern African country.
“The UDSP, faced with its responsibilities before God and history, undertakes to lead the Congolese people, desirous of peace and change, to the final victory in the coming elections,” Tshisekedi declared to reporters in Kinshasa.
He has repeatedly called for the reopening of a national dialogue that produced the 2003 peace deal governing a political transition designed to lead to the installation of a new democratically elected government by mid-2006.
In July 2005, UDSP supporters demonstrated against the continued stay in office of the transitional government established by the 2003 peace deal that gave the transitional authorities up to 30 June 2005 to organise elections and hand over power to a democratically elected government.
The transitional government’s mandate was extended by a further 12 months to give it more time to come up with a new constitution and organise elections. Its current mandate expires on 30 June.
Tshisekedi and UDSP fought both Mobutu and the successive governments of Laurent Desiré Kabila and incumbent President Joseph Kabila.
He served three terms as prime minister during the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko before clashing with the former Zairean leader. Mobutu was ousted in 1997 after being at the helm for close to 32 years.
Political commentators welcomed Tshisekedi’s decision to rejoin the electoral process, observing that he would serve the country better as part of the process than from outside. The return of the UDSP into the fold is being seen by many as a wise decision by the veteran opposition leader.
The UDSP believes it has the support of the international community and voters to participate in the March elections.
With very little time left before the elections in March, the UDSP has asked for the reopening of the voter registration process to enable its candidates and voters to register. Its secretary general, Remy Massamba said voter registration centres must be reopened in its political strongholds of eastern and western Kasai provinces in central DRC.
The voter registration exercise closed in November 2005 after registering about 20 million voters.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has acknowledged receipt of the letter from the UDSP but rejected the request “in the interest of time.”
“Due to the tight agenda, we cannot reopen the registration centres,” IEC president, Apollinaire Malu Malu told reporters in Kinshansa.
The IEC faced logistical problems in the initial enrolment programme and was assisted by the United Nations election observer mission, which used a helicopter to transport the electoral materials across this vast southern African country with an estimated 60 million people.
Without the assistance from the UN observer and logistical wing, the IEC could not have completed the registration and referendum operations.
Malu Malu however said aspiring candidates who had not registered to participate in the polls will be allowed to register as voters when they file in their nomination papers.
