30 11 11 ECI – Initial DRC Elections Statement

The elections
should be considered an achievement given the vast size of Congo, and the
almost insurmountable constraints of terrain and climate. In many of Congo’s
remotest corners, people were able to vote on time with the necessary
resources. The CENI (The National Independent Electoral Commission) has
achieved a striking feat, implementing the first nationally organized elections
with greatly reduced support from the international community.

 

ECI celebrates the
massive, and rigorous work of observation carried out by an extraordinary
number of Congolese, African and other international observers: well trained
short- and long-term observers have proved invaluable in producing key documentation
of the 2011 elections.

 

We are very
encouraged by the clearly proactive and peaceful behavior of the voters in the
process, but ECI is concerned that throughout the country the voting process
was compromised by allegations of fraud, targeted violence and a simple lack of
capacity of the CENI to implement elections that could be considered
accessible, free and fair to the entire electorate.

 

Represented by ECI
CEO Whitney Williams and Founding Member Cindy McCain, ECI witnessed first hand
in North Kivu province that many women were prevented or hindered from going to
the polls on November 28. In a country where half of all women cannot read or
write, the Electoral Commission and civil society have regrettably neglected
the need to assist illiterate people in obtaining access to the polls. In
nearly all of the polling stations we visited yesterday, especially in rural
districts, many women were clearly confused and unsupported as they attempted
to vote. In some places they were not
aware that they could be supported by a literate assistant, and many reported
that they left the polling stations unable to vote, in some cases they report
being encouraged to leave the polls but did not, instead they stayed for many
hours hoping for the chance to cast their vote. Clearly this shows that the CENI did not adequately communicate the
rights to illiterate voters and did not have the resources on site to support
the volume of voters with such needs.

 

We encourage the
Congolese and international observation missions to investigate if there have
been any organized efforts to disenfranchise women and illiterate voters during
the 2011 elections.

 

ECI witnessed that
the CENI sometimes struggled to communicate key directives to its polling
officers. It’s been reported across the country that many voters’ names were
omitted from the electoral rolls, effectively disenfranchising eligible voters,
despite instruction from CENI that all registered voters could vote regardless
of the published electoral roll. This message was not communicated to many
polling stations and people were turned away. In Butembo, for example, we
learned that approximately 2000 voters were turned away because their names
were not on the electoral rolls.

 

As the Congolese
people wait for the results of their election, it is time to consider the
period after the election. Fears of post-election violence are legitimate and
ECI urges the political parties to accept the choice of the Congolese
electorate and calls on all parties to refrain from the use of violence to
resolve political conflict.

 

ECI believes in
Congolese solutions for Congolese challenges. The election is an important
process, but now is the time for the international community to look beyond the
election to support the building of strong, transparent, and democratic
political parties and institutions in Congo. Whoever wins, the next DRC
government will need the support of the international community as it takes the
next pivotal democratic step, holding local elections in the spring. This
elections process has shown that the Congolese people want their voices heard
and that there is an overwhelming desire for good governance, security,
economic opportunity, and social development.

 

In the face of so
much adversity, DRC can seize this moment and move forward with creating a more
secure future, a more equitable economy and an opportunity for its people to
enjoy peace and prosperity. It is in the interest of all of us to support the
Congo to realize these goals. People are hungry for change, people are
exhausted by conflict.

 

Contact: Jamie Nelson, Tel: +1-(206)-372-0094,
jamie@williamsworks.com