DRC ELECTIONS: 94 PERCENT OF ELECTORAL DISTRICTS

UNCLAS KINSHASA 001742 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM CG ELECTIONS SUBJECT: DRC ELECTIONS: 94 PERCENT OF ELECTORAL DISTRICTS REPORTING ¶1. (U) President Joseph Kabila leads Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba by 59.3 to 40.7 percent of votes thus far counted by the DRC's Independent Electoral Commission (CEI). As of November 14, the CEI has reported preliminary results from 159 of the country's 169 electoral districts, nearly 94 percent. It has tabulated approximately 15.3 million valid ballots, with 2.8 million votes separating the two candidates. ¶2. (U) As expected, Kabila has dominated the vote in the DRC's eastern provinces. He has won 93 percent of the vote reported in Katanga, Maniema, North and South Kivu, and Orientale provinces; all but one district from Katanga province has been reported to date. Kabila also won a significant portion of the vote in Bandundu province, the stronghold of his ally Antoine Gizenga. With all districts in Bandundu reporting, Kabila has won 39 percent of the vote there, compared to the 3 percent he received in the July 30 election. ¶3. (U) Also as expected, Bemba has had a strong showing in the western and central provinces. He has won 79 percent of the combined vote in Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur and Kinshasa provinces. In the central Kasai provinces, he has won 82 percent of the vote, with all but seven districts in that region are unannounced. ¶4. (U) The average turnout rate in the 159 reporting districts is 65.8 percent, down approximately 6 percent from the first round. Participation is down nearly ten percent in the west and down slightly less than five percent in the east. Turnout in Eastern and Western Kasai has risen approximately 4.5 percent. ¶5. (SBU) The CEI has not yet announced when it will release nationwide provisional results. The target date currently remains November 19, although that could be moved up. MEECE