Regional Election Observer Mission to the DRC 2006

Interim press statement

For a more detailed preliminary statement, please download our Déclaration Préliminaire [PDF] (en Français) OR Interim Statement [PDF] (in English).

Democratic Republic of Congo - Presidential and parliamentary elections: 30 July 2006

EISA Observer Mission leader Yusuf Aboobaker is interviewed by the BBC, 30 July 2006

In response to an invitation extended by the Commission Electorale Independante (CEI), EISA successfully deployed an observer mission to the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Sunday 30 July 2006.

The Mission has made a preliminary assessment of the poll and its findings and recommendations are presented in this interim press statement. Our observations and views regarding the electoral process in the DRC are based on the guidelines enshrined in the Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO).

The Mission was a short-term observation assignment and consisted of 30 members, including representatives from Electoral Commissions, Civil Society Organisations and Political Parties from Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. EISA deployed 13 observer teams across all the provinces.

This is a preliminary summary of findings of mission:

  • Major challenges of logistical and financial resources for the CEI to run the election.
  • Certain political parties as well as independent candidates feel that access to State-owned media was unbalanced while access to private media was restrictive and prohibitive.
  • There were isolated cases of violent clashes involving security forces and some political formations during the campaign. However this was not a generalised trend.
  • The Mission is satisfied that the polling arrangements were of such a nature as to ensure and assure the secrecy of the ballot. Generally speaking, polling officials conducted themselves in an efficient manner.
  • Although the polling process was not perfect, on balance, the Mission is of the view that these imperfections were not of such a nature so as to jeopardise the outcome of the process, or to put in doubt its sincerity and integrity. These complaints relate mostly to the availability and shortcomings in the electoral lists and registration cards.
  • Inconsistencies in levels of staff performance, in particular for the counting process. The Legislative ballot, given its size and bulk, was difficult to handle both by the voters and the electoral staff.
  • Parties were not as effective as they should have been in regard to voter and civic education. In addition some party witnesses did not display a thorough knowledge of the voting and counting process.
  • The Mission noted, however, that while the constitutional provision for gender equality exists, this was not reflected in the actual practice.

The mission has made recommendations which can be found in our interim statement and will be discussed more fully in our final report. We will not be able to observe the compilation of the counting process and the announcement of the final outcome. On the basis of its observation and using the guidelines enshrined in the PEMMO, the EISA Election Observer Mission concludes that the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections held on 30 July 2006 in the DRC were conducted in a manner that allowed the people of the DRC to express their democratic choice without hindrance.

The Mission wishes to congratulate the CEI for successfully meeting the daunting challenge of a complex election.

The Mission also encourages the people of the DRC in their desire to strengthen their democratic institutions and to make use of the institutions provided for in the event of any election related disputes.

Yusuf Aboobaker S.C.
Mission Leader EISA Observation Mission, DRC Presidential and Parliamentary Elections
2 August 2006