[ Institutions chargées du processus électoral et consolidation de la paix en RDC: Regard sur la CENI et la cour constitutionnelle aux élections de 2018 ]
Volume 29, Issue 1, April 2020, Pages 141–148
Mwembu Dibwe Ken Anastase1 and MUYEMBE MUSATA Jacques2
1 Département des Sciences Politiques et Administratives, Faculté des Sciences Sociales, Politiques et Administratives, Université de Lubumbashi, B.P 1825, Lubumbashi, RD Congo
2 Département des Sciences Politiques et Administratives, Faculté des Sciences Sociales, Politiques et Administratives, Université de Lubumbashi, B.P 1825, Lubumbashi, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2020 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that the real problem facing the Democratic Republic of Congo in the organisation of elections since the beginning of this third phase of the electoral process is the independence of institutions responsible for the electoral process. It notes that the evolution of the legal framework of the CENI and the courts in charge of litigation have not made it possible to guarantee its members freedom of action vis-à-vis the majority in power. In the last elections (2018), almost all CENI members were considered close to the electoral platform of the outgoing Head of State, Joseph Kabila. The latter also retained a major influence on the appointment process of judges of the Constitutional Court. It also found that it was very difficult two months before the elections to reach a consensus on changes that would restore confidence in these institutions. It should be noted that in 2016, four months of negotiations and two dialogues failed to resolve this issue. The opening of discussions on the replacement of all members of the board of the CENI and the Constitutional Court was synonymous with a new postponement of these elections. By 2016, it had already been difficult for political actors to agree on a consensus facilitator and the modalities of discussions. Hence the difficulty for the Congolese DR State to restore peace by organizing free, credible, democratic and transparent elections.
Author Keywords: Bodies of Electoral Management, CENI or CEI, Constitutional Court, Representative democracy, Vote, independence, electoral disputes and, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Volume 29, Issue 1, April 2020, Pages 141–148
Mwembu Dibwe Ken Anastase1 and MUYEMBE MUSATA Jacques2
1 Département des Sciences Politiques et Administratives, Faculté des Sciences Sociales, Politiques et Administratives, Université de Lubumbashi, B.P 1825, Lubumbashi, RD Congo
2 Département des Sciences Politiques et Administratives, Faculté des Sciences Sociales, Politiques et Administratives, Université de Lubumbashi, B.P 1825, Lubumbashi, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2020 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that the real problem facing the Democratic Republic of Congo in the organisation of elections since the beginning of this third phase of the electoral process is the independence of institutions responsible for the electoral process. It notes that the evolution of the legal framework of the CENI and the courts in charge of litigation have not made it possible to guarantee its members freedom of action vis-à-vis the majority in power. In the last elections (2018), almost all CENI members were considered close to the electoral platform of the outgoing Head of State, Joseph Kabila. The latter also retained a major influence on the appointment process of judges of the Constitutional Court. It also found that it was very difficult two months before the elections to reach a consensus on changes that would restore confidence in these institutions. It should be noted that in 2016, four months of negotiations and two dialogues failed to resolve this issue. The opening of discussions on the replacement of all members of the board of the CENI and the Constitutional Court was synonymous with a new postponement of these elections. By 2016, it had already been difficult for political actors to agree on a consensus facilitator and the modalities of discussions. Hence the difficulty for the Congolese DR State to restore peace by organizing free, credible, democratic and transparent elections.
Author Keywords: Bodies of Electoral Management, CENI or CEI, Constitutional Court, Representative democracy, Vote, independence, electoral disputes and, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Abstract: (french)
La présente étude vise à démontrer que le véritable problème auquel la République Démocratique du Congo est confrontée dans l’organisation des élections depuis le début de cette troisième phase du processus électoral est l’indépendance des institutions chargées du processus électoral. Il s’observe que, l’évolution du cadre légal de la CENI et des tribunaux chargés des contentieux n’ont pas permis de garantir à ses membres une liberté d’action vis-à-vis de la majorité au pouvoir. Aux dernières élections (2018), presque tous les membres de la CENI étaient considérés comme proches de la plateforme électorale du chef de l’Etat sortant, Joseph Kabila. Ce dernier, conservait également une influence majeure sur le processus de désignation des juges de la Cour constitutionnelle. Il s’est aussi observé qu’il était très difficile à deux mois des élections, d’obtenir un consensus sur des changements de nature à recréer la confiance envers ces institutions. Il sied de rappeler qu’en 2016, quatre mois de négociations et deux dialogues n’ont pas permis de résoudre cette question. L’ouverture des discussions sur le remplacement de tous les membres du bureau de la CENI et de la Cour constitutionnelle était synonyme d’un nouveau report de ces scrutins. En 2016, il avait déjà été difficile pour les acteurs politiques de s’accorder sur un facilitateur consensuel et les modalités de discussions. D’où la difficulté pour l’Etat RD congolais à restaurer la paix par l’organisation des élections libre, crédible, démocratique et transparentes.
Author Keywords: Organes de Gestion Electorale, CENI ou CEI, Cours constitutionnelle, Démocratie représentative, Vote, indépendance, contentieux électoraux et, République Démocratique du Congo.
How to Cite this Article
Mwembu Dibwe Ken Anastase and MUYEMBE MUSATA Jacques, “Institutions responsible for the electoral process and peace building in the DRC: Focus on CENI and the Constitutional Court in the 2018 elections,” International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 141–148, April 2020.