DRC’s heavyweights relax, smile together

KINSHASA – The current president and vice-president of the Democratic Republic of Congo smiled for the press and shook hands in a rare meeting on Tuesday as the jittery nation waits to see which of the two has been elected the country’s new leader.

President Joseph Kabila and Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba appeared relaxed as they posed for photographers at the presidential palace after their closed-door meeting. It was the first time the two political rivals had met since the second round of voting in DRC’s presidential elections.The air of business as usual was difficult to maintain beyond the photo opportunity however, as Bemba left the meeting under high security with a UN blue-helmet escort.A statement released by Kabila and Bemba later on Tuesday called on “the whole population to remain calm, to respect the institutions and the laws of the republic and to refrain from acts of provocation or violence”.”They renew their commitment to respect the verdict of the ballot boxes,” the joint declaration read, also renouncing “the use of force, mobilising the people or other forms of violence”.The two political heavyweights signed various accords at the end of August aimed at limiting outbreaks of violence and specifying the means of peacefully appealing any contentious results.The last long head-to-head between the two took place on September 13, which was their first meeting since August when their supporters violently clashed over several days in Kinshasa.They then met briefly in mid-October on the sidelines of an investiture ceremony for new members of the government.The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) started publishing on its Internet site partial results of the second round of voting in local centres.It warned the figures constituted “no projection of trends” for the final result.According to the figures for 44 of the 169 electoral rolls published by the CEI, representing 19 per cent of the 25 million possible votes compiled on Tuesday by AFP, Kabila has 71,9 percent of the votes and Bemba 28,1 per cent.The CEI is expected to announce full provisional results by November 19.Definitive results will be declared by the Supreme Court on November 30 following verifications.Nampa-AFPIt was the first time the two political rivals had met since the second round of voting in DRC’s presidential elections.The air of business as usual was difficult to maintain beyond the photo opportunity however, as Bemba left the meeting under high security with a UN blue-helmet escort.A statement released by Kabila and Bemba later on Tuesday called on “the whole population to remain calm, to respect the institutions and the laws of the republic and to refrain from acts of provocation or violence”.”They renew their commitment to respect the verdict of the ballot boxes,” the joint declaration read, also renouncing “the use of force, mobilising the people or other forms of violence”.The two political heavyweights signed various accords at the end of August aimed at limiting outbreaks of violence and specifying the means of peacefully appealing any contentious results.The last long head-to-head between the two took place on September 13, which was their first meeting since August when their supporters violently clashed over several days in Kinshasa.They then met briefly in mid-October on the sidelines of an investiture ceremony for new members of the government.The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) started publishing on its Internet site partial results of the second round of voting in local centres.It warned the figures constituted “no projection of trends” for the final result.According to the figures for 44 of the 169 electoral rolls published by the CEI, representing 19 per cent of the 25 million possible votes compiled on Tuesday by AFP, Kabila has 71,9 percent of the votes and Bemba 28,1 per cent.The CEI is expected to announce full provisional results by November 19.Definitive results will be declared by the Supreme Court on November 30 following verifications.Nampa-AFP