The deadline for the registration of candidates for the presidential and legislative elections being postponed until 02 April, the Independent Electoral Commission in French acronym CEI proceeds with the registrations and processing of candidacies for the upcoming polls, though "sparingly," notes Le Phare. As an example, "only one candidate registered yesterday, Ismaël Kitenge, leader of the Mouvement de l'Union pour la Restauration du Peuple Congolais," says Le Phare. As of to date, altogether "48 candidates have registered for the presidential elections," reports Le Phare. Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa, RCD leader has not surprisingly yet registered though "he pledged to do so ...," recalls L'Avenir.

However, "UDPS stands its ground...The party has not decided yet whether it will participate in the elections or not," highlights Le Potentiel. There are "two opposed logics confronting each other in UDPS," notes L'Avenir. "The moderates who are for UDPS participation in the elections and the extremists that are strongly opposed to UDPS participation in the elections," says L'Avenir.

Which logic will prevail? In the meantime, Etienne Tshisekedi has traveled to Brazzaville to confer with the acting Head of the African Union, Denis Sassou N'Guesso who "is insistent upon hearing the other version of the story in order to make a complete and relevant report for the African Union," explains Le Phare. For Joseph Kabila, "Etienne Tshisekedi has excluded himself from the electoral process; no one is against him," highlights Le Phare.

With the elections getting nearer, "candidates have started campaigning with donations," notes La Référence Plus. "They are rehabilitating roads, building bridges, donating buses, radio and television transmitters... to their prospective voters," reports La Tempête des Tropiques. "Clear-headed minds are shocked," notes La Tempête des Tropiques, advising "the Congolese people to be cautious over the untimely donations that were absent for the past three years."

In other news, flare-up of "militia's activities in Ituri," reports L'Observateur, alluding to "the pockets of tension," referred to by MONUC military spokesman, who further indicated, "FARDC troops have no appropriate equipments to counter those activities," echoes L'Observateur.