Official campaigning starts in two weeks in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But excitement at the symbolic arrival of ballot papers from South Africa has been tempered with concern about xenophobia and hate speech from some politicians.
The first of the ballot papers arrived recently — an event that created great excitement among a population who took it as confirmation that, finally, they would vote.
A visiting delegation of ambassadors from the United Nations Security Council was in DRC as the dissemination of the ballot papers began.
The envoys, who have been there annually since the transition process began in 2003, declared themselves satisfied about the country’s prepa-rations for the elections on July 30.
Like all observers of this complex process, however, the ambassadors balanced their enthusiasm with a cautionary note. ”They urged candidates and their supporters to refrain from xenophobic rhetoric. They also condemned violence against journalists in the run-up to the elections, as well as slanderous media attacks on the candidates,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric in New York.
The DRC’s independent media regulator has accused the president and several vice-presidents of allowing TV and radio stations under their control to incite intolerance and hatred before the elections.
Modeste Mutinga, president of the High Authority of the Media, urged them to use their influence and demanded that they immediately stop inciting hatred that could have a negative influence on the election campaign.
Transitional President Joseph Kabila exercises strong control over govern-ment media, and vice-presidents Jean-Pierre Bemba and Azarias Ruberwa own radio and television stations.
Mutinga said he was troubled by incitement ”in the light of the experience of Rwanda and Ivory Coast, where hate media play a big role” during years of conflict.
Mutinga also complained that Kabila and three of the four vice-presidents — Bemba, Ruberwa and Zahidi Ngoma — had begun campaigning before the official June 29 start date.
Also in the dossier of the security council members was an 11-page report by NGO Human Rights Watch, entitled Journalists and Human Rights Defenders Under Fire.
It documents the increasing attacks, threats and detentions of journalists, human rights defenders and members of the political opposition in April and May, raising concerns about free speech in the run-up to the elections. It also chronicles the failure of the authorities to provide protection, as well as the involvement of state security services in some of the abuses.
”The elections cannot be free and fair elections if the press and civil society are too afraid to speak out or engage in legitimate political debate,” said Alison Des Forges, senior adviser to the Africa division of Human Rights Watch.
Opposition parties continue to clamour for negotiations before the official electioneering begins.
The transition period officially ends on June 30 and opposition figure Etienne Tshisekedi — who has not registered for the election — has reportedly been joined by the likes of Ruberwa and Bemba in calling for and endorsing demonstrations in a number of cities for negotiations.
Analyst at the Institute for Security Studies, Henri Boshoff, says there is a need to find solutions now to existing political problems. These problems include the issue of inclusivity, funding for political parties, intimidation and media freedom.
Boshoff says talks could be used to ensure that all political parties accept the outcome of the election, that the process be transparent and that the losers are not marginalised after the elections.