DRC elections 'free, fair'
2006-09-07 12:58
Cape Town - The South African Observer Mission (SAOM) to the July 30 elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo has declared the elections free and fair.
Mission leader deputy defence minister Mluleki George said: "The SAOM concludes that the DRC's presidential and legislative elections were democratic, peaceful, credible and remarkably transparent."
The mission believed that space had been created for the people of the DRC to freely choose their leaders.
He said: "The challenge now facing the leaders is to ensure reconstruction of the country for the betterment of the lives of the Congolese."
Asked whether conditions were conducive for the presidential run-off and provincial elections on October 29, George said he believed so.
DRC people want elections to go ahead
The term "conducive" was relative, as there could never be 100% conducive conditions for free and fair elections anywhere. However, the DRC's people wanted the elections to go ahead.
On the burst of violence, mainly in Kinshasa, which accompanied the July 30 election result announcement, George said he hoped the United Nations mission in the DRC (Monuc) would have learnt from this.
He said: "If Monuc is more prepared and acts swiftly, we can avoid this sort of thing."
He urged the people of the DRC to ensure a peaceful presidential run-off election on October 29 between President Joseph Kabila and deputy president Jean-Pierre Bemba.
But, the DRC's mammoth problems could not be solved in a "one-day election". The role of the international community would be critical after the next round of elections.
George said the world had to persuade the DRC's leaders to work together to build a democratic country, which had the potential to be the breadbasket of Africa.
- SAPA