'All systems go for DRC elections'
Lavinia Mahlangu
18 July 2006
The people of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are ready and eager to hold the country's first elections in over 40 years, says South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad.
Briefing journalists in Pretoria on Tuesday after his weekend visit to the DRC as part of a delegation of Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministers, Pahad said that despite many challenges, the DRC's people were eager for elections to go ahead.
"South Africa views these elections as absolutely vital," Pahad said.
One of the challenges was the need to intensify voter education, Pahad said, stressing that information on the voting process should continue throughout the period leading up to voting day on 30 July.
Ministers from Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania, Botswana and Zambia visited the DRC to asses its readiness to hold the elections taking place at the end of this month.
Pahad said the SADC delegation held talks
over the weekend with South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission, the DRC government, representatives of the European Union, members of the public, the UN mission to the DRC, various observer missions and 19 of the 35 presidential candidates.
"Losers must accept the results, of course based on the fact that observers find the elections to have been free and fair," the deputy minister said.
There are currently 128 South African observers in the DRC, with more expected to join them shortly. Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula lead the country's observer delegation, and will travel between South Africa and the DRC throughout the election period to monitor and facilitate the situation.
Pahad commended the South African Airforce for having delivered the last batch of SA-printed ballots to Kinshasa, saying it had delivered them "within the timeframe to prepare sufficiently for elections."
He also thanked the South African National Defence Force for
performing various logistic tasks related to the forthcoming election.
Burundi: govt, rebels still talking
On the situation in Burundi, Pahad said the 13 July deadline for a comprehensive ceasefire agreement had passed, but that talks between the Burundian government and the Palipethu-FNL rebel group were continuing.
Minister Nqakula, as the facilitator there, is continuing talks with the involved parties in Tanzania, this time over a new agreement with contributions from both parties.
Pahad said there was general optimism over the new document and the possibility of a ceasefire being reached.
On 18 June, the Burundian government and the Palipethu-FNL signed a peace deal paving the way for the rebel group to return to Burundi as a political party and to join in the country's post-conflict reconstruction and development.
Burundi has been in a state of conflict for about 12 years following the October 1993 assassination of
its first democratically elected president, who was from the Hutu tribe.
This led to tribal clashes between the country's majority Hutus and minority Tutsis. The minority group had held prominence in the government, economy and military since the country's independence from Belgium in 1962.
It has been estimated that the conflict has killed more than 200 000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands of others.
Last year, the country established a new constitution and elected a majority Hutu government led by President Pierre Nkurunziza.
An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement between the then Tutsi-dominated government and Hutu rebels led to the current integrated dispensation.
Ivory Coast: disarmament to begin
Pahad said that Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma would soon be heading for the Ivory Coast, where she is due to hold talks on the peace process and preparations for elections.
Dlamini-Zuma
will be attending the 9th session of the International Working Group on the Ivory Coast.
The country has been divided since 2002, when a coup failed and rebels seized the northern regions, with government forces controlling the south.
Pahad said the dismantling and disarming of the militia groups in the country was expected to start on 24 July, with the deadline for completion now moved from July to August.
The east African country is expected to hold elections on 30 October.
Earlier this month, stakeholders including Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, Forces Nouvelles secretary-general Guillaume Soro, regional leaders and South African President Thabo Mbeki attended a meeting to discuss the implementation of the peace process in the country.
Source: BuaNews
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