- Title: CONGO-KINSHASA: PEOPLE VOTE IN REFERENDUM ON CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION
- Date: 8th June 1967
- Summary: QUEUES OF VOTERS; OFFICIALS; VOTES CAST. Initials RGH/VS/JF/PC Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 23rd June 1967 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KINSHASA, CONGO-KINSHASA
- City:
- Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Reuters ID: LVA78MB6EIG5QZ20J31G0H9KOR45
- Story Text: EARLY RESULTS IN THE REFERENDUM IN CONGO-KINSHASA ON A NEW CONSTITUTION FOR THE REPUBLIC CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF CONGOLESE MEN AND WOMEN SAID "YES" TO THE PROPOSED CHANGES. THE FIRST VOTERS WENT TO THE POLLS ON SUNDAY (JUNE 4) BUT THE REFERENDUM WON'T END UNTIL JUNE 16TH. FINAL RESULTS ARE EXPECTED ON JUNE 24TH.
THE LATEST PROVISIONAL RESULTS IN KINSHASA, THE CAPITAL, GIVE MORE THAN AN 80 PER CENT VOTE OF APPROVAL. IN ONE PROVINCE, WESTERN KASAI, THERE WAS ALMOST A PERFECT VOTE - 99.9 PER CENT.
UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION, FEDERAL STRUCTURE WILL GIVE WAY TO A UNITARY STATE WITH A MORE POWERFUL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, A PRESIDENT, A ONE-HOUSE PARLIAMENT AND A TWO-PARTY SYSTEM. IT WILL ALSO GIVE VOTING RIGHTS TO WOMEN, WHO ARE TAKING PART IN THE REFERENDUM BY SPECIAL DECREE.
ON THE FIRST DAY, THERE WERE QUEUES AT POLLING CENTRES IN KINSHASA FROM DAWN, AND THEY STAYED THAT WAY FOR MOST OF THE DAY. OVERALL, PEOPLE OVER 18 YEARS OF AGE VOTED MASSIVELY AND CALMLY.
TO COPE WITH THE BIG POLL, THERE WERE MOTE THAN 500 POLLING CENTRES IN THE THIRTEEN BOROUGHS OF KINSHASA ALONG. "YES" CARDS WERE PRINTED IN RED AND "NO" CARDS IN BLACK.
THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTION HAS THE BACKING OF PRESIDENT JOSEPH MOBUTU AND HIS PARTY, THE REVOLUTIONARY POPULAR MOVEMENT.
THE REFERENDUM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS NEXT YEAR AND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN 1970.
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