MONUSCO raises awareness of political and civil society actors on peaceful electoral process

MONUSCO raises political parties and civil society actors’ awareness of peaceful electoral process. Photo MONUCO/Paulin MUNANGA

27 Jun 2018

MONUSCO raises awareness of political and civil society actors on peaceful electoral process

Paulin MUNANGA

 

Lubumbashi, 22 June 2018 – Holding peaceful elections in Haut-Katanga, Haut-Lomami and Lualaba provinces is the major issue debated by political and administrative authorities as well as political and civil society actors including the media in most of the awareness-raising sessions organized by MONUSCO.

 

In this context, MONUSCO/Lubumbashi held on 21 June, an awareness-raising workshop on the possibility of holding peaceful elections in the three ex-Katanga provinces mentioned above. About fifty people attended the workshop held at MONUSCO\headquarters in Lubumbashi.

 

Speaking at the forum, the Executive Secretary of CENI in Haut Katanga, Mrs. Mymy Fabienne Mukulu Moya focused on the legal framework on the organization of elections and the updating of electoral process in DRC, in anticipation for the upcoming 23 December elections.

 

She gave an update on the Mission’s assistance to the ongoing electoral process and answered a number of questions raised by members of political parties revolving around the electoral process, the training of CENI staff, the deployment of electoral equipment, the setting up of Reception Offices, the processing of the candidatures and the opening of the Offices in charge of updating candidatures at the provincial level scheduled for 24 June. Mymy Fabienne further explained the procedure on the withdrawal of forms, submission and processing of provincial MPs candidatures.

 

Responding to the questions raised, Eric Wadagni, representing MONUSCO/Lubumbashi electoral section elaborated on MONUSCO’s role before, during and after the elections. He explained that MONUSCO’s technical support consists in providing assistance for the dissemination of the texts addressing human rights and gender balance as well as the laws texts regulating the national, provincial, local and municipal elections.

 

MONUSCO encourages women to engage in the electoral process and provides logistic support to the CENI to deploy and collect heavy and sensitive equipment. MONUSCO also assists in providing transport to the staff and communication experts accredited to areas with difficult access.

 

Rolanda Biribindi of the UN Joint Human Right Commission at MONUSCO/Lubumbashi headquarters elaborated on the public freedoms to guarantee during the electoral period.

 

Professor Adrien Mulumbati Ngasha of the University of Lubumbashi, the last to take the floor, focused on the duties and responsibilities of political parties in organizing peaceful elections and the role of the different actors. He said political parties’ mission also consists in training their members.

 

Political parties, he highlighted, should act like schools regarding the role of educating their members. He further said the ideological education alone is not enough for a political party; they should also educate their members on the Constitution and the Public Institutions, the different political events taking place both in the national and the international arenas.