Thousands of opposition supporters in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday staged a street protest over the use of voting machine in December’s poll.
They want the withdrawal of the electronic voting machine system for the impending votes. The protesters expressed concerns the machine could be used to rig the polls.
The granting of permission for the protest to be held was surprising to many since the government has suppressed protests in the past.
Opposition supporters stormed the streets of Kinshasa, and other key cities including Goma and Bukavu and Bunia in the northeast.
There were however security officials deployed to ensure peaceful protest. The protest ended without any incident.
Meanwhile opposition political parties are set to name a joint presidential candidate for this year’s presidential elections.
Seven of the opposition parties after meeting in South Africa, agreed to name the said candidate by November 15.
Key opposition figures like Jean Pierre Bemba and Moise Katumbi have been prevented from running.
The DR Congo will be going to the polls in December without incumbent President, Joseph Kabila whose tenure has already ended.
Kabila’s ruling party named former Interior Minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary as its candidate for the polls.
President Kabila’s second term officially ended in 2016 but he refused to stepdown sparking violence and delayed elections.
Kabila’s inability to run again could ease tension a little in the Central African country. Joseph Kabila took over as president from his father Laurent who was assassinated in 2001.
Source: Africafeeds.com
