Kinshasa, 24 June, 2020 / 10:00 pm (ACI Africa).
Bishops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are demanding that the government, through the Speaker of the National Assembly, carries out electoral reforms before appointing the leadership of the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).
“The most important thing is that logically, what is needed first are reforms, particularly, the reform of the electoral law and CENI. Because we can have the best candidate, but if it is with the same law, the same configuration, we will not have taken a big step,” the Catholic Bishops in DRC explained in their collective statement issued Tuesday, June 23.
“The National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) and the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC) recommend, like other Civil Society organizations, that it should first have consensual reforms, before continuing talks for one of the possible candidates for the office of this institution,” the Bishops emphasize.
They add, in relation to the appointment of the chairman of CENI, “We have not confirmed anyone.”
Faith-based leaders in DR Congo under the Platform of Religious Denominations remain divided over the choice of the Chairperson of the electoral commission, a prerogative accorded them by the country’s constitution.
