Democratic Republic of Congo has said elections to replace President Joseph Kabila will take place by December 2018, a year later than scheduled. Following is an explanation why the decision is so important for DRC’s political crisis: A mineral-rich country a quarter the size of Europe, but mired in poverty and corruption, scarred by ethnic divisions and fighting in its east, DRC is one of Africa’s most volatile nations. The present crisis brewed after Kabila refused to step down last December on the expiry of his second and final term in office. The 46-year-old has been president since 2001, taking over from assassinated father, Laurent.
As political violence escalated, the Catholic church brokered a deal on New Year’s Eve under which there would be a government transition, culminating in fresh elections in 2017.
But in October, the country’s electoral commission said there would be no vote before March or April 2019 as violence in remote regions had hampered the compilation of the electoral roll.
Full Article: DRC vote date: What’s at stake? | News24.
