Understanding DRC’s complex polls process

Kinshasa. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is going to the election on December 20, this year.

Some 26 presidential candidates will be battling to replace the incumbent, Felix Tshisekedi, who is also running for a second term.

If one thinks 27 is a huge number for presidential aspirants in one country, then he or she will be flabbergasted to hear that there are more than 47,000 people vying for 500 national parliament seats.

Even for those on the ground, and those who know DRC, that number is amazing.

Indeed, DRC is one of large countries in Africa and it has a large population, but to have 47,000 people contesting only 500 posts, is strange.

But the sheer size of the country and its population size are not the only factors which have attracted a huge number of parliamentary contestants.

Those who spoke to the Political Platform here note that huge pay is a major factor that attracts many people in DRC to vie for the post. And people are ready to spend a fortune to land the position.

Just imagine, an MP earns some $21,000 as a monthly pay. In a few wealth countries in Africa such as South Africa, this equates to the salary of the head of the state.

Many presidents in Africa are paid below this amount in a month.

“This good pay is what pushes many people to fight for these posts. Some candidates have been using of money to cajole voters as not strong enough and they have now retorted to using ‘muti’ (witchcraft) to clean their way to winning the parliament seat,” notes one local election observer who declined to be named.

Election with a difference

Election in DRC this year has left many people wondering what is wrong. Usually, in the past, until now DRC would have been a headline maker in many major media outlets in the world.

This is due to what used to happen in the count down to election.

Clashes were an order of the day. Deaths, injuries, damage to properties were so common in elections.

But this year no one has heard of those things with less than two weeks until election day.

These things have not been heard this year not because they are not reported and they are not reported because they don’t happen.

Since campaigns started several weeks ago, there has been no report of any kind of clashes resulting from political instigation. Campaigns have been running so smoothly despite stiff competition.

The game changer is the Congolese themselves. Random interviews conducted among common people here established that people in DRC have decided that enough is enough.

Even before the campaigns started people told politicians that they are fed up with conflicts resulting from political instigations.

“We told politicians that this time around no common person is going to fight another common person simply because they support different politicians. We came to realise that the clashes affect us (common people) and not politicians.

“It was common in the past that people were killing one another and after a few days the politicians whom the people were fighting for are seen signing peace and cooperation deals while no one remembers about those who were killed or injured in the clashes resulting from political instigations.

“So, this year we have told them that we are not going to fight for any politician,” says Jose Mutimbi, a Kinshasa resident.

And this stand by the common people is said to be the major factor behind the peaceful election campaigns in DRC this year.

Katerina Kabengu, also a Kinshasa resident said people have realized that peace hinges on decisions they make.

“So we have decided that if we want to show our support to certain politicians we will show it through a ballot box, not through machetes and guns,” she says.

Stiff competition

Tshisekedi, who is running for a second term, is facing competition from 26 other presidential contenders.

Many outside DRC might think that because he is incumbent, Tshisekedi is inclined to win the election. But that is not a guarantee.

For one thing Tshisekedi’s ruling government is made of many political parties therefore if he stands alone (because the other parties are also contending for the post), the incumbent finds himself and his party lacking the support they enjoy in the government of national unity.

On the other hand a popular businessman turned politician, Moise Katumbi, poses a major threat to Tshisekedi.

Though many opposition parties are inclined to support Katumbi and his course, Tshisekedi has so far been mixing his cards very well.

His campaign is coined around three major issues – unity, peace and prosperity.

These three issues have endeared Tshisekedi to many Congolese who have been crying for unity and peace for so long.

In his first phase, Tshisekedi has also shown some remarkable improvements in many social and economic areas such that the number of people who are contemplating to give him another chance is increasing.

“Not to great extent, but Tshisekedi has started to build roads in many areas and you know roads are the major challenges which this vast country faces. He has also introduced a free education system and many children now go to school with expenses paid for by the government. These are things which people want,” said one of Tshisekedi camp campaigners when talking to Political Platform in Mbujimayi in Kasai province where Tshisekedi hails from.

Things may take a dramatic turn before December 20 but so far there are strong indications that DRC is going to see a peaceful election this year.