Politics

Presidential candidates in Congo DR want urgent measures to ‘save’ election

Published

1 month ago

October 31, 2023

On Tuesday, candidates in the next presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo called for urgent measures to prevent malpractices in the upcoming voting exercise.

Every opposition candidate has voiced worries about possible electoral fraud and a lack of openness. The candidates, in a joint statement, vowed to resist any manipulation of results and demanded a number of measures from the electoral commission, including the publication of electoral lists and the mapping of polling stations.

Nobel Peace Prize winner, Denis Mukwege, Moise Katumbi, the former governor of the wealthy mining province of Katanga, and Martin Fayulu, the runner-up in the 2018 presidential election, were among the signatories of the statement.

According to the electoral commission, CENI, about 43.9 million voters have been registered for the elections compared to 40.4 million in the previous poll, but the countdown to the election on December 20 has been tense. International partners and human rights organisations have claimed—and the government has refuted—that the authorities are repressing dissent and the right to free speech.

Denis Kadima, president of CENI, met with American representatives in Washington earlier this month as part of a “rebranding” campaign to allay concerns regarding the commission’s prior performance.

“After so much vagueness and lack of seriousness that characterised all the pre-electoral operations…, it is necessary that a few days before the electoral campaign, urgent measures be taken to save the electoral process,” the statement said.

The candidates specifically mentioned the shoddy voter cards that were distributed—they claimed to be inadmissible—and the hold-ups in releasing the voter and polling place lists.

President Felix Tshisekedi is likely to face fierce opposition from Katumbi as he seeks a second term.

Related Topics:Congo DR Elections Featured

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Politics

Seychelles declares emergency following explosion, flooding

Published

21 hours ago

December 7, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Officials in the Seychelles have confirmed that a blast at an explosives store wrecked buildings and caused massive damage to an industrial zone.

The explosion has prompted the president, Wavel Ramkalawan, to declare a state of emergency on Thursday.

The president called for a minute of silence on Thursday after telling reporters that the blast rocked the island and caused flooding due to heavy rains. Three people died as a result.

National television footage showed streets strewn with uprooted trees buried in deep mud and covered in debris.

“Following an explosion at the CCCL explosives store that has caused massive damage to the Providence Industrial area and the surrounding areas and major destruction caused by flooding due to heavy rains, the President has declared a state of emergency for today, December 7th,” President Wavel Ramkalawan’s office said in a statement.

“Everyone is being asked to stay at home. All schools will be closed. Only workers in the essential services and persons travelling will be allowed free movement.”

Tourists can still use the international airport and the ferries that travel between the islands, according to the government’s official social media.

Comprising 115 islands, the Seychelles is the least populous country in Africa, home to only 100,000 people.

Politics

Mauritania: Ex-president Abdel Aziz jailed for 5 years

Published

3 days ago

December 5, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

A former president of Mauritania , Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, has been found guilty, and sentenced frollowokg a trial.

He was arraigned on money laundering and “illicit enrichment” charges.

Abdel Aziz was on Tuesday sentenced to five years in prison for the offences which were said to have been committed during his decade-long reign as the leader of the West African country. He was found guilty of two of the ten charges against him by the court late on Monday, after it looked into claims of corruption and misappropriation of public funds.

However, some of Abdel Aziz’s associates who had also been on trial, including two former prime ministers, were acquitted.

The decision was described as “a political verdict targeting a man and his family” by one of his solicitors, but his conviction, according to the prosecution, was historic.

Although Abdel Aziz was succeeded in 2019 by a political ally, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, who remains president, his government however quickly came under scrutiny over actions, including deals on offshore oil projects.

Abdel Aziz’s conviction is the biggest against high profile public servants in the country. The former military leader has the option of appealing his sentence at the Supreme Court.

According to Transparency International, Mauritania scored 30 points out of 100 on the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index. The country averaged 28.00 points from 2006 until 2022, reaching an all-time high of 31.00 Points in 2006, having hit a record low of 23.00 Points in 2010.