UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
10 Mar
2009
Press Review of 10th October 2005
Today's local press mostly comments on the official postponement of the constitutional referendum to 18 December 2005.
'The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is in the process of readjusting the projected calendar of the operations ahead of the constitutional referendum,' informs L'Observateur. The head of the IEC has personally announced 'the postponement of the constitutional referendum to 18 December,' adds La Tempête des Tropiques. The postponement is caused by the 'delay accumulated by the voter identification and registration operations,' explains L'Observateur. This implies that 'the operations scheduled to end on 24 September are still ongoing in the province,' further says La Tempête des Tropiques, indicating, 'several observers see the slow FARDC troop-merging operations as the major obstacle to the implementation of the electoral calendar in respect of the referendum and the electoral processes.' However, the head of IEC 'keeps declaring himself optimistic,'' highlights Le Potentiel. 'It would be wrong to compare the voter identification and registration operations with the referendum polls. The double operation has been the heaviest and most complex due to diverse financial, human and logistic factors. As far as the referendum polls are concerned, we will call on the local staff, notably the teachers,' says Le Potentiel, echoing the head of the Independent Electoral Commission. 'What great optimism,' unfortunately betrayed by 'discrepancies' between 'the data released by the heads of MONUC and the IEC' and in light of the 'difficulties faced on the ground' notes Le Potentiel, a pro-Opposition paper. Whatever happens, 'the elections most certainly take place by 30 June 2006. The IEC is already preparing for the holding of the elections by that date,' assures L'Observateur, a pro-PPRD paper, echoing Father Malu Malu's statement. 'All those who were pessimistic about the electoral process should [incorporate this],' estimates L'Observateur, echoing the statement by the Special Envoy of the European Union to the Great Lakes region, Aldo Ajello.
There is a total status quo on the social front, as most notably the teachers' strike continues. Moreover, « [Teachers] dared say no to the archbishop of Kinshasa, Cardinal Etsou,' reports La Tempête des Tropiques. 'They warned the [archbishop] against rushing headlong into this issue,' further says the paper. 'A malaise prevented the Cardinal from pronouncing himself on the teachers' strike,' reports Le Phare. Had he not faced the health problem, he would have certainly 'urged the government and teachers to show good faith and insist that what matters the most for the moment is improvement of children's well-being,' says Forum des As. Until this message finds a favourable echo among the teachers, 'the deadlock will continue,' notes Le Phare. 'Last week ended with a great number of basically unconvincing appeals (') for the resumption of classes,' highlights La Tempête des Tropiques. One might as well say, 'imbroglio around the resumption of classes still persists,' estimates Le Palmarès, pro-opposition paper, noting, 'A teachers' sit-in at parliament [is scheduled for today] to get MPs and senators involved in their problem.'
There is a total status quo on the social front, as most notably the teachers' strike continues. Moreover, « [Teachers] dared say no to the archbishop of Kinshasa, Cardinal Etsou,' reports La Tempête des Tropiques. 'They warned the [archbishop] against rushing headlong into this issue,' further says the paper. 'A malaise prevented the Cardinal from pronouncing himself on the teachers' strike,' reports Le Phare. Had he not faced the health problem, he would have certainly 'urged the government and teachers to show good faith and insist that what matters the most for the moment is improvement of children's well-being,' says Forum des As. Until this message finds a favourable echo among the teachers, 'the deadlock will continue,' notes Le Phare. 'Last week ended with a great number of basically unconvincing appeals (') for the resumption of classes,' highlights La Tempête des Tropiques. One might as well say, 'imbroglio around the resumption of classes still persists,' estimates Le Palmarès, pro-opposition paper, noting, 'A teachers' sit-in at parliament [is scheduled for today] to get MPs and senators involved in their problem.'
