The President of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), Denis Kadima, stated the day before in a message broadcast on national television that the voting centers that did not open on Wednesday could do so this Thursday.
The top authority of the CENI also declared its determination to allow the extension of voting times on December 20 to help all the people waiting in line at polling stations.
Although the elections were generally calm, several incidents such as the lack of voting materials, the late start of voting and the absence of voters' names on the lists hampered the day's progress.
The CENI assured that all voters could exercise their right to vote and therefore decided to extend the opening hours of voting centers.
In this context, presidential candidate Denis Mukwege expressed deep concern about the growing number of “serious dysfunctions and irregularities” marring the elections, but rejected the decision to extend the vote beyond the legal deadline.
In a statement issued two hours before the closure, he reminded the president of the CENI that “no one is above the law” and expressed fears that the results of such a chaotic vote do not reflect the will of the people and their deep aspirations then reflect change. .
Mukwege complained about irregularities such as the delay in the delivery of voting documents, the fact that the voting machines were in the hands of unauthorized persons or even candidates, and the lack of voter lists in several polling stations.
He also referred to the delayed opening of polling stations and cases of violence in these rooms.
In his opinion, this proves that the government, the Constitutional Court and the CENI have not done enough to guarantee the Congolese people transparent, reliable, credible and peaceful elections.
Approximately 44 million registered voters were called to elect the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, national and regional representatives and local councils.
For the first time since the country's independence in 1960, voting was also held abroad, notably in Belgium, France, South Africa, the United States and Canada.
It will take several days for the election results to be known and the president-elect is expected to be sworn in on January 24, 2024.
After the withdrawal of seven presidential candidates, 19 candidates remained in the race for the office, including current President Félix Tshisekedi, who is considered the main favorite.
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