Over 40m Congolese register to vote ahead of December polls

GOOBJOOG NEWS | KINSHASA: Congo’s Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) has said it has registered over 40 million voters to participate in the general elections to be held in December.

The commission announced this on Monday as political tension rise in the DRC where President Felix Tshisekedi is seeking a second terms in office.

Over the weekend, security forces fired tear gas on anti-government protests over as demonstrators echoed opposition candidates’ complaints of delays and alleged anomalies in the run-up to the vote.

The demonstrators in the country of over 95 million were also angry about rising living costs and spiralling violence in the east, where armed militia groups wrangle over land and mineral resources.

Insecurity has made it impossible to register voters in several areas. CENI has said it is seeking solutions to enrol them.

Opposition leaders have reacted sceptically to the enrolment figure, noting that the commission appointed its own auditors to review the figures over five days.