Opinion: CENI released a Presidential Election Timeline, it’s just buy Kabila more time to stay in power!

The Commission Electorale Nationale Independante (CENI) of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) announced new timeline for Presidential Elections. This is because the President is still on his third term without an election, as the Constitution only provides him with two terms. President Joseph Kabila should have stepped down 19th December 2016. That has not happen, he is still lingering while enjoying the killings and chaos in Kasai-Oriental and the South-Kivu and North-Kivu provinces. Because he uses that tactic to extend his time and also postpone elections.

Since the CENI dropped a new timeline and calendar for up-coming elections. It proves they have put up plan that schemes of an election in December 2018, while announcing the winner between 9th January 2019 to 19th January 2019. While Presenting the new President between 12h January to 19th January 2019. Therefore, this move is buying Kabila even more time. Not like he has bought himself enough time to spend the whole of 2017 on the throne. This while their been trouble in Beni, Bukavu and Kasai. Not that this has slowed him down or even showed any sort of action that gives faith of any coming election.

He has registered himself for an up-coming election, but Kabila has now done that twice. So that gig is up and people shouldn’t believe it, even if United Nations Envoy for United States Nikki Haley believes it and eats out of his hand. That doesn’t believe others should do so. Because Glencore is earning their profits on the mineral resources of the country. Not that transparency is needed, as long as Kabila and his associates are paid-in-full. This knows the international businesses and mineral industry, they are accepting it and doesn’t care about the human carnage and instability they provide the Republic.

Clearly, Kabila and CENI are working together. As the timeline came, the CENI dropped a paper showing their troubles and needed funds, even as the International Aid came to pay for the General Election of 2016. An election that never happen, but still the funds given has been spoiled by a corrupt group of politicians in Kinshasa. Therefore, don’t expect that Kabila nor any of his loyal cronies wants things to change. They don’t, that is why we are still talking about elections as theory and not acted upon.

I won’t believe elections are about to happen, before the CENI orders ballot papers, announce candidates and gives space to civil society, as the state has arrested activists all-over, they have put politicians into exile and made sure the biggest opposition parties has their headquarters not in Kinshasa, but in Brussels, Belgium. You know something is wrong when the RDC politicians has to seek refugees at their former colonial masters, instead of being in their independent republic.

I don’t trust Kabila to step-down, not because I want to stay in power, but because his self interest and his wealth is based on being the Executive and a President. His wealth and businesses are built within the state and are proxy-state financed. So if he steppes down, he might loses contracts and kick-backs from business agreements and partners. That rather make business with the new guy or party, since they might choose differently, they might even be more transparent and believe in open-government. As the people can see into the contracts and license agreements, between mineral extraction companies and the government.

That is why CENI dropped the timeline now nearly a year on overtime, as Kabila has eaten space and makes him more indispensable, even when he is not. President Joseph Kabila is just using the CENI to his benefit, just like the rest of the state functions. He is eating and creating chaos to suit him… the DRC will not change with him at the helm, it will only be more hurt and more trouble. Kabila will use all tricks and continue to prolong his presidency, even play cat-and-mouse with the international allies. If he has too. Peace.

RDC: Dynamique de l’Opposition Politique Congolaise – Declaration Politique (11.11.2017)

RDC: Communique du G7 (11.11.2017)

NASA Statement: “Postponement of NASA Peaceful Protests” (09.11.2017)

Statement of the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union on the publication of the Electoral Calendar in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (08.11.2017)

 

The Chairperson of the Commission urges all the political actors to demonstrate a spirit of responsibility and to refrain from any statements or acts likely to heighten tension.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, November 8, 2017 – The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat, notes with satisfaction the publication by the Independent National Electoral Commission of the Democratic Republic of the Congo of the electoral calendar for the combined Presidential, Legislative and Provincial elections, now scheduled for 23 December 2018. He recalls that the African Union has consistently called for the timely publication of a credible and as consensual as possible electoral calendar, pursuant to the Political Agreement of 31 December 2016.

The Chairperson of the Commission stresses the duty and obligation of the institutions and stakeholders concerned, including the political parties, the civil society and religious leaders, to work together resolutely to ensure that this new calendar is scrupulously adhered to. He also underscores the need to do everything possible to ensure that the planned elections are organised in the requisite conditions of transparency, credibility and regularity, in conformity with the relevant instruments of the African Union, including the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and of Governance.

The Chairperson of the Commission urges all the political actors to demonstrate a spirit of responsibility and to refrain from any statements or acts likely to heighten tension. He recalls the importance of taking urgent measures to restore confidence between the actors involved and to defuse the political tension, within the spirit of the Political Agreement of 31 December 2016.

The Chairperson of the Commission reiterates the commitment of the African Union, in close cooperation with the appropriate regional organisations, the United Nations and other partners, to accompany and support the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to help the Congo to successfully achieve this democratic milestone, in accordance with its Constitution. To this end, the AU will leave no stone unturned to mobilise the necessary resources from both the Member States and the international community as a whole.

#NASABoycott: Kepsa – “Let’s Business do what it does best: Business” (08.11.2017)

NASA Statement: “NASA Directs Members of Parliament to Attend County Assembly Debates on People’s Assembly Motion” (08.11.2017)

NASA Statement: “Motion for County Assemblies on Creation of People’s Assembly in Kenya (07.11.2017)

RDC: Mouvement Citoyen Filimbi – “Peuple Conolais Levons-Nous et Marchons Pour Chasser le Dictateur Joseph Kabila et Tous Ses Complices” (06.11.2017)

26th October Elections: The Fresh Presidential Election Results will be questioned by SCOK!

The best fortress which a prince can possess is the affection of his people.”Niccolò Machiavelli

Today is the deadline day for Election Petitions against the announced results of the Fresh Presidential Election on the 26th October 2017 and the result announced on the 30th October 2017. The initial petitions that might be powerful and question the election will be the ones served by Kura Yangu Sauti Yangu (KYSY), Institute for Democratic Governance and Harun Mwau private petition.

Because this elections has been filled irregularities, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and their proceedings as the timeline, the nominations and all the other appointments, which can be questioned. Not only the results in mind, where you can question the registered voters, the amount of voters and the turn-out. There are so many numbers that was pulled out of the hat, that the IEBC could cook anything, horse, rats and beef at some point.

The IEBC and this petitions will have a hard time to answer the findings of KYSY, Institute for Democratic Governance and Harun Mwau. All of these petitions can show different finds and also question different parts of the Fresh Presidential Elections. There are enough breaches and codes broken that is simple to find within the Constitution of 2010. That is something the IEBC knows and should know as they have already been nullified once in 2017.

The IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati and CEO Ezra Chiloba should be shaken and questioned for their acts and behavior. The Internal Memo’s that has been released and come to the public view, all of them has showed their appointments, their agreements with tenders and how they have discussed the Fresh Presidential Election. Clearly, the IEBC have not done this properly.

That is why we can look with interest what the Supreme Court of Kenya will look into petitions and what they are finding, the possible breaches. All of them will be vital to prove that the recent presidential election in Kenya was a shambolic and botched event, that no-one should be promised to have won. The winner Kenyatta, should have wished he lost to Dr. Ekuru Aukot of Thirdway Alliance, since he didn’t really win and the election have no credibility. That in mind of how IEBC kept themselves in public while counting ballots and also how they forged 34A forms and 34B forms.

This time James Orengo and National Super Alliance (NASA) has not filled any petition, as they are boycotting it as they did during the polls as well. We can just await the verdicts of these or if they will dismiss them, but they will prove important steps through the protocol and expectations as those days in question has not been used as the provisions of law are saying it should be. That is why the gazetted changes and possible days ahead of 26th October can be questions as either lawful or unlawful.

We have the rights to question it, as it is easy to say that some parts of what the IEBC did and compared to the current law are open breaches, but if the Supreme Court has the same understanding. Will be told as the petition and the trials will start in the coming days. Together with the gathered evidence and possible questions it arises. Peace.