President Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday congratulated his Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) counterpart Joseph Kabila on his affirmation by the DRC Supreme Court as the democratically elected president of the DRC.
”The government and people of South Africa join the international community in welcoming the DRC’s Supreme Court decision to declare President Joseph Kabila as a democratically elected leader of the DRC,” Mbeki said in a statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Department.
”It is indeed our conviction that the results are an expression of the free will of the people of the DRC.”
Mbeki also congratulated the DRC’s Independent Electoral Commission for organising both rounds of presidential elections, the provincial elections, all political parties for their participation ”in this historic process”, as well as Vice-President Jean Pierre Bemba for approaching the Supreme Court to raise his objections.
”We are confident that the finalisation of the election process must surely lay a firm foundation for the mobilisation of all the people of DRC behind the banner of reconstruction and development of their country in a peaceful, stable and democratic environment.”
South Africa stood ready, within its limited resources, to assist the people of DRC as they embarked upon the difficult path to bring about a fundamental socio-political transformation of their country, Mbeki said. — Sapa