In the DRC, the reform of the Ceni adopted, but still contested
The headquarters of the CENI, the Electoral Commission, in Kinshasa, DRC, January 9, 2019 (illustration photo).
REUTERS / Baz Ratner
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
After the National Assembly, the bill on the reform of the Independent National Electoral Commission (Céni) passed without a hitch in the Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
But his detractors do not give up and denounce too much politicization of the institution.
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With our correspondent in Kinshasa,
Pascal Mulegwa
This Friday, June 11, the 95 senators present at the plenary turned a deaf ear to calls from the opposition and civil society.
They all voted “
Yes
”.
No opposition, no abstentions.
The two largest religious denominations in the country, the Catholic and Protestant churches, are on the contrary
very upbeat
.
In a joint declaration yesterday Friday in Kinshasa, they disapprove of the text about to be promulgated by President Félix Tshisekedi.
They call for the depoliticization of the electoral center for transparent elections.
The two denominations are in common cause.
They have not rejected everything altogether, but they are demanding more positions for the civil society of which they are part.
We the Church of Christ in Congo
[Editor's note: ECC, Protestants]
and the National Episcopal Conference of Congo [Editor's note: Catholics], we think that we should have an office headed primarily by civil society, explains Reverend Éric Senga, porte - speech of the Protestants.
How do you explain that we have an office made up of seven people, where we reserve a single person on behalf of civil society, four for the majority and two for the opposition.
It is disproportionate.
Over-represented politicians
Civil society is thus seen in the minority, even if it retains the presidency of the Ceni.
What has already posed a problem in the Ceni, gets carried away by Reverend Senga, also secretary general of the Justice, Peace and Protection of Creation Commission (CJPSC) within the ECC. rather, it is the high number of policies in the office. There are times when decisions are taken by vote, the president is in the minority. It is a clear message that has just been sent to us, we cannot continue to lead the DRC by challenges, I think that President Félix Tshisekedi does not need this kind of confrontation.
In the plenary, the deliberative body of the Ceni, ten positions are reserved for politicians - six for the majority, four for the opposition - against only five devolved to members of civil society. Both denominations require more balance. In their joint declaration, they say they are surprised because the adopted text cuts down on the provisions aimed at strengthening the independence of the CENI. They ask for a legal framework to allow the holding of “
honest
”
elections
in 2023. In the same declaration, Protestants and Catholics call on the “
people
” to “
defend their sovereignty
”.
Opponents Martin Fayulu and Adolphe Muzito, who threaten to mobilize in the street against this law "
tailored to prepare for electoral fraud
", have already called for discussions for a consensus around the reform text of the electoral commission.
►Read again: DRC: allies of the presidential camp denounce the Ceni reform bill
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