DRC ELECTIONS: EIGHT OBSERVER MISSIONS ISSUE

UNCLAS KINSHASA 001709 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM CG ELECTIONS SUBJECT: DRC ELECTIONS: EIGHT OBSERVER MISSIONS ISSUE POSITIVE JOINT STATEMENT REF: A. KINSHASA 1692 ¶B. KINSHASA 1703 ¶1. (U) On November 2, eight international observer missions issued a positive joint statement on the October 29 DRC provincial and second-round presidential elections. The missions collectively deployed teams in all eleven provinces, including the capital, Kinshasa. They represented the Carter Center, the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa, the Economic Community of Central African States, the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa, the EU Electoral Observation Mission, the International Organization of Francophonie, the Southern African Development Community-Parliamentary Forum, and the African Union. ¶2. (U) The joint statement expressed satisfaction that voting and counting operations took place in a calm and peaceful manner, with the exception of isolated incidents in Equateur province and in Ituri District. It congratulated the Congolese people as well as election workers, political party witnesses, Congolese observers and the police. It singled out for praise the "remarkable improvement" of election operations by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI). It also characterized the media as "excessively partisan" during the campaign, however. ¶3. (U) The international missions recommended that the CEI publish results by voting station to increase transparency. They also highlighted the post-electoral commitments made by the two presidential candidates. They cited the candidates' responsibility for the actions of their followers and called on them to make use of legal channels to adjudicate any complaints. ¶4. (U) A number of these organizations have also issued individual statements on the elections (reftels). ¶5. (U) A copy of the joint statement has been transmitted to AF/C. MEECE