UN chief calls for political, peaceful solution to differences over elections in DRC

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday called for a political and peaceful solution to differences among all the parties concerned in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over the issues related to elections in the country.

The secretary-general made the appeals in his meeting here with Raymond Tshibanda N'tungamulongo, the foreign minister of the DRC, which came on the sidelines of the current annual high-level debate of the UN General Assembly.

During the meeting at UN Headquarters in New York, the secretary-general handed Tshibanda a letter to President Joseph Kabila conveying his views on the political situation in the DRC, in particular the national political dialogue and the electoral process, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here.

"The Secretary-General encouraged the holding of an inclusive political dialogue and peaceful resolution of differences on issues related to elections in the DRC," he said.

Earlier Saturday, the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the International Organization of La Francophonie (IOF) issued a joint statement on the DRC situation to voice their grave concerns on the recent violent events in the capital Kinshasa and elsewhere in the country, where protesters and security forces clashed, resulting in loss of life.

At least 17 people, including three policemen, were killed on Sept. 19 in heavy clashes between protesters and police in Kinshasa, reports said.

According to the nation's Constitution, the country is scheduled to hold its presidential election on Sept. 20. However, the electoral commission said the election has to be postponed until a voter registrar is completed, which the opposition rejects. Enditem