Congo: bishops will monitor voting to ensure fair elections
December 05, 2011
The Catholic bishops’ conference of the Democratic Republic of Congo has called for fair and free elections in the African country, and enjoined political leaders “to strictly adhere to the truth of the polls.”
The bishops decried political violence on the eve of the national elections, and announced that they had commissioned 30,000 election observers to watch the voting process, to provide a check on the government’s ballot count.
Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo of Kinshasa said that authorities have a duty to “publish the results of what people voted and not something else.” When asked whether Church leaders would make a public report if the observers found evidence that the election results were fraudulent, he replied simply: “I hope that will not be the case.”
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Further information:
- Tension on the eve for the announcement of the winner of the presidential elections, the Bishops launch an appeal for calm (Fides)
- Catholic church in Congo issues poll warning (Reuters)
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