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DR Congo's president promulgates new electoral law

Xinhua, February 13, 2015 Adjust font size:

Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) President Joseph Kabila on Thursday promulgated the electoral law adopted in January by parliament, a source from the presidency said.

The promulgation of the new electoral law coincides with the publication of the entire electoral calendar by the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI).

The initial bill which had proposed extension of the presidential term beyond 2016, was finally amended during a joint committee sitting of both chambers of parliament.

In January, DR Congo's National Assembly and the Senate passed an amended electoral law that does not contain clauses conditioning the conduct of the next elections to organization of a general population census.

The vote in both Houses took place after violent protests that resulted into deaths in Kinshasa.

Opposition supporters went to the streets on Jan. 17, to protest against the proposal requiring a population census to be held before the 2016 presidential elections, hence extending Kabila's second term.

Having come to power in 2001 after the death of his father, President Laurent-Desire Kabila, Joseph Kabila was first elected as president in 2006 and re-elected in 2011. His second term is expected to end in November 2006.

While releasing the complete electoral calendar in Kinshasa, CENI announced that DR Congo's presidential and legislative elections will be held on Nov. 27, 2016. Endi