Agenzia Fides REPORT – Bishops from the Democratic Republic of Congo say that the revision of the Constitution was completed in a “hasty and rushed manner”. This statement is contained in the exhortation “Année electorale: Que devono-nous faire?”, prepared by the Permanent Committee of the Congolese Episcopal Conference (CENCO).
On 22 January, President Joseph Kabila promulgated the constitutional law amending the previous norm, whereby the Head of State is elected by ballot in two rounds. With the amendment to the Constitution, the presidential elections of 27 November will be a single occasion. The constitutional amendment has provoked a lively debate throughout the Country and the Bishops have expressed their concerns in this regard (see Fides 24/1/2011).
In the document, sent to Fides, the Episcopal Conference recalls that the Constitution was drafted by “a laboriously achieved consensus” and was approved by a referendum. The constitutional amendment, however, write the Bishops, “was passed and promulgated in less than two weeks at the end of an extraordinary session of Parliament, where it was not initially included on the agenda, when it could have been presented earlier, calmly, on the basis of broad consultation and open public and parliamentary debate.”
The Bishops underline the concerns of the Country about this procedure: “We fear that this constitutional amendment is a prelude to other reviews that will lead to the return of one-party politics, to the end of democracy and to the establishment of a new dictatorship” The Bishops note that “the elections in several African countries have often been a deplorable spectacle of violence, protests and riots” and warn that the DRC should have seen by example to ensure that the 27 November elections are “free and democratic”.
On 22 January, President Joseph Kabila promulgated the constitutional law amending the previous norm, whereby the Head of State is elected by ballot in two rounds. With the amendment to the Constitution, the presidential elections of 27 November will be a single occasion. The constitutional amendment has provoked a lively debate throughout the Country and the Bishops have expressed their concerns in this regard (see Fides 24/1/2011).
In the document, sent to Fides, the Episcopal Conference recalls that the Constitution was drafted by “a laboriously achieved consensus” and was approved by a referendum. The constitutional amendment, however, write the Bishops, “was passed and promulgated in less than two weeks at the end of an extraordinary session of Parliament, where it was not initially included on the agenda, when it could have been presented earlier, calmly, on the basis of broad consultation and open public and parliamentary debate.”
The Bishops underline the concerns of the Country about this procedure: “We fear that this constitutional amendment is a prelude to other reviews that will lead to the return of one-party politics, to the end of democracy and to the establishment of a new dictatorship” The Bishops note that “the elections in several African countries have often been a deplorable spectacle of violence, protests and riots” and warn that the DRC should have seen by example to ensure that the 27 November elections are “free and democratic”.
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