Press Review of 24 February 2006

Today Friday 24 February 2006, the local press has mainly focused on the current electoral process.

After being adopted by MPs last Tuesday, "the electoral law will be promulgated within 8 days," reports L'Observateur. This will help "the parliament to finalise the text today – before transmitting it to the Head of State and the Head of State to get the Supreme Court Okay on its conformity," explains L'Observateur relayed by L'Observateur. If things go smoothly, within the next few days "the Independent Electoral Commission will have all the legal instruments necessary to organize the general elections prior to the 30 June 2006 deadline," says La Tempête des Tropiques.

Having "theoretically scheduled the legislative and presidential elections [first round] for 18 June 2006, the Independent Electoral Commission means the 30 June deadline will not be respected," highlights Le Potentiel. In this case, "a legal void is to be feared at the State's summit after June 30," warns La Tempête des Tropiques.

Le Potentiel retorts, quoting Mr. Olivier Kamitatu, the Speaker of the National Assembly, "If new authorities are not elected on 30 June, DRC will not plunge into legal void" for the constitution provides that "the current institutions will remain until the new political institutions are effectively put in place which will help avert chaos on 30 June," explains La Référence Plus, echoing the Speaker of the National Assembly. This implies, "Article 222 of the new constitution provides for the extension of the controversial 1+4 scheme," concludes Le Potentiel.

Prolongation of the elections may cause "lot of stir that will be difficult to run. January and June 2005 are a perfect illustration of what may happen," warns La Référence Plus, in an editorial entitled "Time for readjustment." In other words, "it would be difficult to cope with the collective hysteria in the offing," further says Le Potentiel. It would be wise to "envisage the reopening of registration and identification offices for those who did not register. This option may defuse the cloudy atmosphere since it would bring everybody to the electoral process," says La Référence Plus.