Reply To: The 57th Anniversary of the Independence

[Congo]

Little by little, the saying goes, the bird makes its nest. It is precisely this that can be affirmed as regards the holding of the tripartite, this long-awaited meeting, which will have to confront CENI, CNSA and Government around the evaluation of the electoral process so that they respond, finally , To the question of the year in Congo-Kinshasa: will there be elections or not in 2017 in the country? Kananga, the famous corner of the Great Kasai crystallises the eyes. No, it is not because of the phenomenon Kamuina Nsapu, but far beyond it. It is rather the presence in this corner of several officials of the CENI, the Government, the CNSA, CSAC and others that now, within the framework of the internal evaluation launched by the electoral center, The path for the next tripartite organization. In fact, many hoped to see this meeting held in Kananga as announced on the air of a sister by Norbert Basengezi, number two of the Independent National Electoral Commission. Already, it must be said, until recently, for some, it is truly the tripartite that was in gestation. However, this is not the case for the Olenghankoy CNSA, which has made it known. In the eyes of this structure, before this tete-a-tete, it must have effective possession of the electoral data. However, for several observers, what has been happening since Monday in Kasai constitutes the matrix of what will be the tripartite with a verdict assumed by Nangaa: ” elections are impossible in 2017 ”. The Mass is already said …

Thus all the projections that can emerge from the CENI before and after can not, in any way, depart from the judgment already pronounced on all the roofs both by the president of the CENI himself and by the tenors of the Electoral commission. Information gathered from the circles close to the CENI reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission has even broken an election calendar – one of the great policy requirements – that would go beyond 2017. This, if it proves to be justified Will certainly have the effect of a bomb on the political scene while raising waves, but will only comfort one thing affirmed by Nangaa and his without embarrassment, the blessing of the power of Kinshasa. Who, through the Government, said he took note of the impossibility of holding elections supported by the CENI. The Rally and many other political-social forces do not hear things from this ear. At the expense of these irreducible, the provincial and national legislative elections and especially the presidential elections must take place in 2017, as mentioned in chapter 4, paragraph 4, of the agreement of December 31, 2017. Lays the supporters of the Tripartite verdict CENI-CNSA- Government. The controversy persists. But, far from the political debates, obviously, technical organ for the organization of the elections, the CENI is put in work to have enough to appease the appetites. Will he be able to satisfy them? Maybe but not certain. While it is clear that the work carried out at the capital of Kasai Central will produce a draft for the tripartite and it is less easy to say that the demands of the Rally hard wing hatted by the tandem Felix Tshisekedi-Lumbi will have quenched his thirst. This is all the more so since the timetable required of the CENI for September, if it is disclosed in time, will not comply with the time-limit previously set in the Agreement for the holding of elections. So, tripartite or not, evaluation or not, without compromise, Congo-Kinshasa will head towards the end of 2017 to uncertain horizons.