DRC ELECTIONS: BEMBA SAYS HE WILL CHALLENGE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001762

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM CG ELECTIONS
SUBJECT: DRC ELECTIONS: BEMBA SAYS HE WILL CHALLENGE
ELECTION RESULTS

REF: A. KINSHASA 1755

B. KINSHASA 1759

C. KINSHASA 1752


1. (U) Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba said November 16 that
he cannot accept the results of the DRC's October 29
presidential election and that he will use legal means to
challenge the outcome. Bemba read a statement in both French
and Lingala in a special broadcast on one of the
Kinshasa-based television stations he owns. The Independent
Electoral Commission (CEI) announced provisional results
November 15 showing that President Joseph Kabila had defeated
Bemba by 58.05 to 41.95 percent (ref A).


2. (U) Bemba claimed that the CEI's figures were "far from
reflecting the truth of the ballot boxes." He said he and his
Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) party had raised
six complaints with the CEI concerning irregularities that
needed to be addressed. The Commission, he added, had only
responded to two of them before publishing provisional
results. Bemba said he was especially concerned about the 1.4
million people, or ten percent of all voters, who voted
outside their home districts. (Note: As reported ref B, the
CEI announced that 1.095 million people had voted in this
category. It is not clear how Bemba arrived at the larger
figure. End note.)


3. (U) Bemba complained the CEI did not abide by an
understanding that the CEI would advise the candidates 48
hours in advance of the announcement of provisional results.
The time period was designed to give candidates and their
allies time to analyze the results and respond to any
potential irregularities.


4. (SBU) Bemba's rejection of the election results follows a
November 14 statement by members of his Union for the Nation
(UN) alliance (ref C). They argued Bemba had won the election
with 52.5 percent, but provided no evidence to back up their
claim. The UN alliance said it would reserve the right to
renounce any of the previous post-election agreements reached
with Kabila and his Alliance for the Presidential Majority
(AMP). (Note: None of the signatories to the November 14
statement had represented Bemba during the negotiation of
these agreements nor were they parties to those agreements.
End note.)


5. (U) In a moderate toned response, AMP spokesman Olivier
Kamitatu said November 16 that Bemba of course has the right
to use legal channels to contest the results. He said Bemba
must now provide proof of his allegations of any possible
irregularities. PPRD Secretary General Vital Kamehre
essentially conveyed the same measured response as Kamitatu
in a television interview November 16.


6. CEI President Apollinaire Malu Malu also commented
publicly, stating that the CEI has done its work and that the
job of adjudicating the MLC claims is with the Supreme Court.
Malu Malu also confirmed that a formal response was made to
the MLC in response to all of the MLC complaints presented to
it.


7. (SBU) Comment: Bemba has the right to contest the election
through the proper legal channels and has pledged in public
and private conversations to do so. The tone of his message,
however, leaves room for the hard-liners around him to
continue inciting others who believe the election may have
been "stolen" by Kabila. End comment.


8. (U) The following is Post's unofficial translation of
Bemba's statement:

"I learned like everyone else, through the media, of the
second-round presidential election results published by the
Independent Electoral Commission (CEI).

I was very surprised to learn that the CEI did not, as
agreed, notify the candidates of the results in order to
permit them to react within 48 hours.

I remind national and international observers that these
elections have been the object of several challenges,
including six petitions I personally addressed to the CEI,
notably that concerning the number of 1,481,291 people who
voted outside their electoral districts and which constitutes
nearly ten percent of votes cast. As of today, the CEI has

KINSHASA 00001762 002 OF 002


only responded to two of these petitions and in a manner not
at all satisfactory.

Faced with this situation, I regret to say to our people and
the international community that I cannot accept these
results which are far from reflecting the truth of the ballot
box.

I undertake to use all legal means to respect the will of our
people.

I cannot end this address without sincerely thanking the
Congolese people for placing their confidence in me, and I
confirm my firm determination never to betray them.

May God bless the Democratic Republic of Congo."

End text.
MEECE