Electoral commission seeks over 16 months to organize DR Congo presidential poll

The head of the Congolese National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) Corneille Nangaa has asked for over 16 months to organize presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

Nangaa was speaking on Thursday in Kinshasa during the publication of an observation report on the gubernatorial elections by the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace.

"We must start with registering new voters, an operation that is likely to take more than 16 months. In 2006 and 2011, this operation took 16 months, but since in 2016 we plan to register Congolese nationals in the diaspora, the operation could take longer than 16 months," the CENI boss said.

"We made a request to the United Nations but we got a response through the Security Council Resolution No. 2277 which required the DR Congo government to organize elections within the constitutional timeline," he said.

The second term of President Joseph Kabila expires on Dec. 19, 2016. However, CENI has noted that it does not have necessary resources to organize presidential elections which will cost over 1 billion U.S. dollars.

Elsewhere, DR Congo's Budget Minister Michel Bongongo said Wednesday in Kinshasa that the government will disburse 30 million dollars to CENI by the end of this month to facilitate its operations.

"Regardless of the difficulties we are facing, the government is determined to ensure CENI has the necessary means to organize these elections," the minister said. Enditem