In Kinshasa, police deployed tear gas to block opposition leaders and supporters from entering the electoral commission’s offices in a demonstration against what they call the Democratic Republic of Congo’s impending electoral disaster.
The opposition further lamented on the action taken by the police to deny them their democratic right to protest as they call for fair elections in the forthcoming polls.
“The police are being used by the power (authorities) to curb our freedoms and we don’t accept that. The police are not our interlocutor, our interlocutor, our interlocutors are the public authorities, it is the CENI that must organise free, democratic and transparent elections, and not the rest,” said Delly Sesanga, an opposition leader.
Elections in DRC have never been a smooth process as they are smeared with violent protests especially from the opposition and religious group calling for transparency in the process.
Martin Fayulu who is the main opposition also echoed the same sentiments by calling for a fair and transparent election.
“We are within our rights. We cannot, under any circumstances, surrender ourselves like beasts of burden, be taken to rigged elections and then afterwards the Westerners, everyone will say “we have taken note”, no. We are demanding our rights, the rights of the Congolese, the rights of Congolese who have not yet been born,” said Martin Fayulu.
Current president, Felix Tshisekedi, who succeeded Joseph Kabila in January 2019 in a controversial election, has already expressed his intention to run again.
Tshisekedi may be running against Martin Fayulu, who continues to claim that he won the 2018 election and was denied victory.
Former Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo (2012-2016) has also announced his intention to run.
According to the electoral authorities, insecurity remains the main challenge.