Call to snub DR Congo poll move

Call to snub DR Congo poll move

A key opposition party in the Democratic Republic of Congo calls for its supporters to boycott the voter registration process.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/africa/4122886.stm

As much as the staff of the electoral commission may be sketchy in their practices - and some of them truly are - the electorl process that has now started in Congo (DRC) is irreversible,or at least it should be. It is not acceptable that now that the Congolese people be deprived of this long awaited right to feel ownership over the process of running their own country. In my view, since the first Europeans landed on the coast of the Kongo kingdom in the 15th century, the people of what is now the DRC have enjoyed that right - somewhat - only once : between January 1960 (during the Brussels Round table conference), till July 8th 1960 (with the secession of Katanga, and all that ensued, icluding the assassination of Lumumba). The rest has been a long accumulation of political games and schemes, and utter and total disregard for the interests of the Congolese people. Consequently, an election process, however unperfect, if monitored properly by observers, is a starting point that I believe most thoughtful - and non-power-hungry - Congolese people would be willing to settle for... but as a starting point only, of course. I wonder...