DRC urged to speed up poll process

KINSHASA – The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) must speed up its political transition to meet a deadline for holding elections next year, a United Nations delegate said at the weekend at the start of a UN Security Council visit to the country.

“The process must be speeded up so that the elections take place before June 30, 2006,” the head of the UN delegation Jean-Marc Sabliere told journalists, citing the constitutional deadline for elections following the setting up of a transition government in 2003. “We come with a message of support to the Congolese people before these elections which must promote stable development from which all Congolese people must benefit,” Sabliere said.Sabliere added that the UN supported DRC at a “crucial moment” as it entered “the home stretch” leading up to elections.DRC has been ruled by an interim government lead by Joseph Kabila since a 2003 peace accord ended its five-year civil war.”The Security Council is making a great effort for the success of the peace process in DRC and will be extremely vigilant to ensure that nothing obstructs this process,” Sabliere said, adding that the UN’s peacekeeping force in DRC was its largest anywhere in the world.The UN officials will meet with Kabila, the four vice presidents of the DRC, and the presidents of the Senate, the National Assembly and the Independent Electoral Commission.They will visit Kasai and Katanga in DRC before making a tour of the African Great Lakes region, visiting Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.-Nampa-AFP”We come with a message of support to the Congolese people before these elections which must promote stable development from which all Congolese people must benefit,” Sabliere said.Sabliere added that the UN supported DRC at a “crucial moment” as it entered “the home stretch” leading up to elections.DRC has been ruled by an interim government lead by Joseph Kabila since a 2003 peace accord ended its five-year civil war.”The Security Council is making a great effort for the success of the peace process in DRC and will be extremely vigilant to ensure that nothing obstructs this process,” Sabliere said, adding that the UN’s peacekeeping force in DRC was its largest anywhere in the world.The UN officials will meet with Kabila, the four vice presidents of the DRC, and the presidents of the Senate, the National Assembly and the Independent Electoral Commission.They will visit Kasai and Katanga in DRC before making a tour of the African Great Lakes region, visiting Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.-Nampa-AFP