Kinshasa residents angry as presidential vote in 2017 looks unlikely

Record ID: 898742

  • Title: Kinshasa residents angry as presidential vote in 2017 looks unlikely
  • Date: 10th July 2017
  • Summary: KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (JULY 10, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN STREET VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LOOKING AT NEWSPAPERS ON GROUND CLOSE OF PEOPLE'S FACES READING NEWSPAPERS ON GROUND NEWSPAPERS NEWSPAPER HEADLINES - L'AVENIR'S HEADLINE READING (French): "CORNEILLE NANGAA (President of Congo's electoral commission) DECIDES: "THERE WON'T BE ELECTIONS IN 2017" / TELEGRAMME DU CONGO'S HEADLINE READING (French): "NANGAA: 'NO ELECTIONS NEXT DECEMBER" / LE MONDE'S HEADLINE READING (French): "THIRD CHEATING MISTAKE BY CORNEILLE NANGAA" LE POTENTIEL'S HEADLINES READING (French): "CORNEILLE NANGAA, THE SCAPEGOAT" / LE PALMARES' HEADLINE READING (French): "NANGAA BOMBSHELL DROPPED: NO ELECTIONS IN 2017" L'AVENIR'S HEADLINE READING (French): "CORNEILLE NANGAA DECIDES: THERE WON'T BE ELECTIONS IN 2017" (SOUNDBITE) (French) KINSHASA RESIDENT, ANTOINE LIMBELE, SAYING: "The option is to have elections. If the Congolese feel what they feel now, it's because there have not been any elections. If there had been elections within the time stipulated by the constitution we would not have what we have today. The problem is the election and we don't need Nangaa, we don't need anybody but we want elections to put this country back on track. That's all. We need another president. We have had enough." TRAFFIC IN STREET / PEOPLE WALKING VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (French) KINSHASA RESIDENT, MUKENDI JULBER, SAYING: "Normally, we should be going to elections because it is in the constitution and also because there have been agreements on New Year's Eve. But if they can't respect that, whether they are politicians or anyone, if the people take action there would be slaughter." EXTERIOR OF ELECTORAL COMMISSION BUILDING SIGN ON BUILDING READING (French): "ELECTORAL COMMISSION" DRAWING OF HAND CASTING VOTE INTO BALLOT BOX ON EXTERIOR OF ELECTORAL COMMISSION BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Lingala) KINSHASA RESIDENT, MASUWA TRESOR, SAYING: "If there are no elections this year, they are violating their own agreements because they assured us there would be elections in 2017. Because in 2016 there was not enough money so people agreed to put up with an extra year which the Catholic priests gave us. But we don't accept any more delays. If they want to violate the constitution the people will respond." VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC AND PEOPLE WALKING IN KINSHASA
  • Embargoed: 24th July 2017 16:57
  • Keywords: President Joseph Kabila presidential vote mandate protests Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Location: KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
  • City: KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
  • Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of
  • Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016P4YJPJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:People in Kinshasa expressed frustration on Monday morning (July 10) after Congo election head said that a vote to replace President Joseph Kabila will probably not be possible this year, violating a deal that let Kabila stay on past the end of his mandate.
    Kabila's refusal to step down at the end of his second elected term in December sparked protests that killed dozens of people.
    The opposition quickly denounced commission president Corneille Nangaa's announcement on Sunday as a declaration of "war". Residents of Kinshasa said further delay will violate their constitutional rights and they will not accept it.
    Under the accord struck on Dec. 31 between Kabila's representatives and opposition leaders, Kabila, in power since 2001, is also barred from trying to change the constitution to stand for a third term.
    However, Kabila has said only the electoral commission can schedule the vote once it finishes enrolling millions of voters. In an interview last month with German newspaper Der Spiegel, he also said that he had "promised nothing" in the December deal.
    In response to Nangaa's comments, opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi wrote on Twitter that the commission president "had declared war on the Congolese people" and promised a full response by the country's main opposition bloc on Monday.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register