Congo to hold presidential, parliamentary elections on 2023

Felix Tshisekedi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, speaks at a joint press conference with Kenyan President William Ruto on November 21, 2022, not seen at the Palace of the Nation in Kinshasa. ARSENE MPIANA AFP KINSHASA Democratic Republic of Congo said it will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on December 20, 2023, kicking off a year of complex preparations in the vast Central African country, large parts of which are overrun by militia violence.

At a ceremony in Kinshasa on Saturday, the electoral body, CENI, outlined several challenges, including the logistics of transporting ballot materials thousands of miles, health concerns about Ebola and COVID - 19, and the unrest that has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

The government has pledged to stick to the timetable in the country of 80 million people.

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It is not a question of negotiating with the constitutional deadlines, but it is a question of respecting them and consolidating our democracy, said Patrick Muyaya, government spokesman.

He said the election will cost around $600 million, more than $450 million of which has already been budgeted.

The last presidential election, the Congo's first democratic transition, was delayed by two years until it was finally held in December 2018. In the vote, President Felix Tshisekedi took over from his long-standing predecessor Joseph Kabila.

Candidates are expected to be announced in October next year, with a final list due in November. Tshisekedi is expected to run again and one possible challenger is Martin Fayulu, who claimed victory in the 2018 poll.

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Under Congolese law, presidents are limited to two terms.

More than 120 armed groups continue to operate across the east, including M 23 rebels that Congo has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting, despite billions of dollars spent on one of the United Nations' largest peacekeeping forces. Kigali denies the accusations.

The M 23 has staged a major offensive this year, seizing territory, forcing thousands of people from their homes.