The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) will fly the ballot papers there as part of the assistance South Africa is providing to help the DRC transit to democracy following years of brutal warfare.
The war broke out in 1998 as an attempt to topple then President Laurent Kabila. At its height, the war drew in seven foreign nations and several disgruntled armed forces. It is estimated to have left 2,5-million dead in the mineral rich but developmentally impoverished country.
The former Belgian colony, bordered by Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Zambia, has enormous mineral wealth due to its deposits of gold, silver, diamonds, copper, cobalt, zinc uranium and tantalum, making the French-speaking nation potentially the richest nation on the continent.
But it has come to know little peace since its independence in 1960 witnessing among others sporadic uprisings and riots including a coup d'etat, assassinations of former Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba in 1961 and that of President Kabila senior in 2001. However, warring factions in that country signed a peace-accord in Pretoria in 2003 providing for President Joseph Kabila to remain head of state for a two-year period and then elect a new government.
President Kabila came into power following the assassination of his father Laurent.
The peace process there began with the reforming of the security system by disarming, demobilising and reintegrating former rebels into the army and the police force with the assistance of the international community.
In a move seen as an act of solidarity by the international community to help the DRC transit into democracy, in March the Irish and Denmark governments donated about R11-million to enable the IEC stage successful elections there.
A huge chunk of the funds would be channelled to logistics such as the recruitment and training of staff, conflict resolution and information and communication technology infrastructure especially for voting and results.
As part of logistical preparations for the big day, the IEC started printing the ballot papers over two months ago and is expected to deliver the last of the ballot papers by 23 June.
In addition, electoral experts in IT had already been posted to that country.
IEC Chairperson Brigalia Bam said the assistance would enable the central African country hold the next round of elections on its own, having drawn from experience from South Africa.
At least 9 000 candidates would be participating in the elections, contesting for 500 seats in the National Assembly.
Another 33 would be contesting for the country's presidency.
South Africa anticipated seconding about 128 electoral experts from 1 July to 15 August, considering that the DRC had not held elections in a long time.
However, seminars had been held with political parties in the DRC to help them understand the processes of voting, counting and for the announcement of results. – BuaNews
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