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| Supporters of UDPS, photo by DiasporaRDC |
The Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) , the most prominent political party in the Democratic Republic of Congo , will hold mass protests on July 09 2020 to denounce the endorsement of Ronsard Malonda as the new President of the country's Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), by the National Assembly.
UDPS member Gecoco Mulumba promising to be on the streets on 09th July
The party wants the National Assembly to reconsider such decision, and rather make a recommendation to civil society movement (which includes the church) to designate 3 candidates, who will represent the movement in the plenary of the Independent Electoral Commission.
Malonda was voted by members of the religious denomination to become the next President of CENI, a letter was then sent to Parliament to endorse his election
According to UDPS, the process of endorsing Malonda was done through fraudulent means and the Parliamentary majority, The Common Front for Congo (FCC), took a unilateral decision on something that required a national consensus.
The Speaker of Parliament, Jeanine Mabunda, was also criticised for rushing through the process.
Even some church leaders, including the Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Cenco), Donatien Nsole, refused to acknowledge the endorsement of Malonda by Parliament. Their argument echoed the same sentiment that the procedures was based on fraudulent documents.
The reason for such strong objection on the nomination of Ronsard Malonda, across the social spectrum, is because he held a position within CENI and his close relation with the current CENI President, Cornielle Nangaa.
Under Nangaa, the electoral body had lost credibility among the Congolese population due to the fraudulent elections organised in 2018; and there are fears that if individuals from the same electoral team are placed in the leadership position, the next national votes will be no different.
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