Voting in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo extended into a third day on Wednesday, after logistical problems prevented many voters from casting their ballots on election day, two days earlier. Some opposition leaders are already calling the elections a sham.
Four presidential candidates said the elections, which had been set to start and finish on Monday, should be cancelled. The official results are expected on December 6, and analysts are warning that violence could erupt unless all participants in the election agree to respect the final outcome.
The African Union and European Union have urged calm, calling on political forces in the country to only use legal means to challenge the results. The US said it was concerned by “anomalies”.
Vital Kamerhe, a former minister, accused the election commission (CENI) of being biased in favour of incumbent President Joseph Kabila, saying widespread fraud was “deliberately planned”.
“These elections must quite simply be annulled,” Kamerhe wrote in a public letter.
International election observers were critical of CENI for failing to adequately prepare the 63 000 polling stations across the country with enough ink, ballot papers and other essential goods.
Workers at the polling stations were also not properly trained in some cases.
Even late on Tuesday, parts of the capital Kinshasa were without ballot papers. The opposition said this was a sign the election commission was biased.
But foreign observers were hesitant to call for a cancellation of the elections, despite the irregularities, which included the burning down of polling stations and attacks by gunmen, which left at least five people dead.
Full Article: Chaos in DR Congo poll – Daily News | News | IOL.co.za.