UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
10 Mar
2009
Press Review of 15 November 2005
The press conferences held by the head of the Independent Electoral Commission, Father Malu Malu and the Belgian Minister of Cooperation and Development are the two major news in today's local press.
The identification and registration operation which started on 20 June is proceeding normally. 'Altogether, 21,195,354 voters have been registered thus far,' reports L'Avenir. However, the Independent Electoral Commission has registered several cases of frauds. 'For the only city of Kinshasa, the harmonization of the electoral files with the help of a Sagem firm revealed 300,398 cases of irregular registrations with two voters having the same finger prints, which amounts to over 150,000 cases of frauds,' explains Le Potentiel. Just for the city of Kinshasa, 'there are over 120,000 more cases to handle to determine the exact number of irregular registrations and cases where one voter has been registered several times,' further says L'Avenir. In any case, it is established that 'any person involved in such a case has violated the article 45 of the law on the voters' identification and registration operations; The Independent Electoral Commission is therefore authorized to remove his name from the electoral list due to forgery, under the Congolese penal code' highlights Le Potentiel.
While the verification of the electoral files is under way, the date of the referendum on the draft constitution has remained unchanged, 18 December 2005. 'The transport of the referendum kits (ballot boxes, polling booths') to the provinces started on 1st November,' says Le Phare. This is an indication that 'the Independent Electoral Commission does not envisage another extension of the constitutional referendum,' warns Le Potentiel, recalling, 'the referendum which was initially scheduled for 27 November was postponed due to logistic problems.'
Organising the referendum on 18 December would mean, 'the elections will definitely be held on 30 June 2006,' announces Le Potentiel, echoing Armand de Decker, Belgian Minister of Cooperation and Development. In other terms, 'the calendar set by the all-inclusive agreement for the electoral process will strictly be respected. No extension will be allowed,' warns L'Avenir. 'Congolese people have long waited for the elections and this is the time for them to go to the elections,' says L'Observateur, echoing the Belgian Minister of Cooperation and Development. They are right since 'the future of the DRC will become apparent after the elections' [statement by Armand de Decker], writes L'Observateur [pro-PPRD, presidential party]
'They should rather take into consideration the serious concerns from those on the ground. It should be noted that their points of views as well as those of some ambassadors posted in Kinshasa, reflecting the reality on the ground, clash with that of the Belgian Minister of Cooperation and Development,' says Le Phare, pro-UDPS. However that may be, the Belgian Minister of Cooperation and Development has urged 'UDPS leader and his party to join the ongoing process for there is no alternative to the elections,' underscores Le Potentiel.
In other news, at the National Assembly, the interpellation of nine ministers of the transition government ended with the adoption by the lower house of the Parliament 'with an overwhelming majority, of the report addressed to the Head of State,' says Le Phare. In this report, 'MPs urge the government to ensure coherent functioning of its different ministries,' highlights L'Observateur. 'Actually, the recommendations and resolutions of the National Assembly sound like a motion of censure against the government. Government action has been described as irresponsible,' indicates Le Potentiel. Furthermore, the report urges 'the Head of State must draw a lesson out of this and put the right man in the right place (') of course with the approval of components and entities,' informs Le Phare. However 'observers feel that heads are going to roll down this time just because they would like to please some people or settle scores without actually bothering to change the working methods,' highlights Le Phare.
While the verification of the electoral files is under way, the date of the referendum on the draft constitution has remained unchanged, 18 December 2005. 'The transport of the referendum kits (ballot boxes, polling booths') to the provinces started on 1st November,' says Le Phare. This is an indication that 'the Independent Electoral Commission does not envisage another extension of the constitutional referendum,' warns Le Potentiel, recalling, 'the referendum which was initially scheduled for 27 November was postponed due to logistic problems.'
Organising the referendum on 18 December would mean, 'the elections will definitely be held on 30 June 2006,' announces Le Potentiel, echoing Armand de Decker, Belgian Minister of Cooperation and Development. In other terms, 'the calendar set by the all-inclusive agreement for the electoral process will strictly be respected. No extension will be allowed,' warns L'Avenir. 'Congolese people have long waited for the elections and this is the time for them to go to the elections,' says L'Observateur, echoing the Belgian Minister of Cooperation and Development. They are right since 'the future of the DRC will become apparent after the elections' [statement by Armand de Decker], writes L'Observateur [pro-PPRD, presidential party]
'They should rather take into consideration the serious concerns from those on the ground. It should be noted that their points of views as well as those of some ambassadors posted in Kinshasa, reflecting the reality on the ground, clash with that of the Belgian Minister of Cooperation and Development,' says Le Phare, pro-UDPS. However that may be, the Belgian Minister of Cooperation and Development has urged 'UDPS leader and his party to join the ongoing process for there is no alternative to the elections,' underscores Le Potentiel.
In other news, at the National Assembly, the interpellation of nine ministers of the transition government ended with the adoption by the lower house of the Parliament 'with an overwhelming majority, of the report addressed to the Head of State,' says Le Phare. In this report, 'MPs urge the government to ensure coherent functioning of its different ministries,' highlights L'Observateur. 'Actually, the recommendations and resolutions of the National Assembly sound like a motion of censure against the government. Government action has been described as irresponsible,' indicates Le Potentiel. Furthermore, the report urges 'the Head of State must draw a lesson out of this and put the right man in the right place (') of course with the approval of components and entities,' informs Le Phare. However 'observers feel that heads are going to roll down this time just because they would like to please some people or settle scores without actually bothering to change the working methods,' highlights Le Phare.
