The imminent publication of the presidential run-off results by the Independent Electoral Commission CEI is the dominant issue in today's local press.

"Except a last minute hitch, the results will be published today," says Le Palmarès, indicating, "the compilation operations ended yesterday."

La Référence Plus, for its part, reports, "Jean-Pierre Bemba, leader of Union pour la Nation has the denounced the rigged elections," accusing CEI of "being impartial, swelling the level of turnout in eastern DRC and manipulating the results in favour of the outgoing president Kabila and indicating that the results in their hands suggest Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba is leading with 52.5% votes," says La Tempête des Tropiques.

L'Observateur highlights, "CEI remains the sole authorised institution to publish the polls' results in DRC," echoing Reverend Malu Malu. They must "resist the temptation of self-proclaiming themselves and manipulating people before the results are officially disclosed by CEI," further says the paper.

"The truth of the polls," is what is "required" from CEI, says Le Potentiel, indicating, "Transparency, equity and good sense are what are needed to calm down the minds."

"There is nothing unusual in Cardinal Frédéric Etsou's declaration; similar statements were earlier made by CENCO Conférence Episcopale Nationale du Congo," echoing Bishop Monsengwo, reports Le Palmarès.

"The Archbishop's statements were distorted for the purpose in hand," highlights L' Avenir, echoing Archbishop Monsengwo. "Who stands to gain by this arrangement?" wonders the paper, indicating, "Cardinal Etsou had made similar blunders in the past...and it is an open secret that he is a militant of a clearly identified party," argues L'Avenir.

La Référence Plus reports an aborted clash in Kinshasa yesterday, "Jean-Pierre Bemba's close guards nearly opened fire on a 16-truck convoy of FARDC troops that came to take them to Maluku if Vice-President Bemba did not intervene personally."
However, Jean-Pierre Bemba declares himself surprised that "the operation, planned for today, was prompted yesterday," adds Le Palmarès.

La Tempête des Tropiques predicts "gun fight at Gombe cemetery's site noting that the Swahili-speaking troops are already positioning along Avenue du Cercle in anticipation of the fight against Vice-president Bemba's close guards," explains the paper.