Problems Loom A Week From DR Congo Vote

Kinshasa, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2023) Difficulties are mounting one week ahead of elections in DR Congo, as conflict rages in the east, logistical problems remain unresolved and fears over fraud linger.

Some 44 million registered voters are set to cast ballots in the vast central African nation on December 20, in concurrent presidential, parliamentary, provincial and municipal elections.

The sheer size of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is roughly the size of continental western Europe, means staging elections is a logistical nightmare.

The country of about 100 million people is also one of the poorest in the world, with very few roads, and the electoral commission, CENI, is still struggling to distribute voting material.

About 100,000 people are standing in the four elections, including 22 for the presidential poll.