VZCZCXRO5866
OO RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #1213/01 2121437
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 311437Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4496
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KINSHASA 001213 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KPKO CG ELECTIONS
SUBJECT: DRC ELECTIONS: THE DAY AFTER 
 
REF: KINSHASA 1212 (NOTAL) 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: Despite some expected technical and 
logistical difficulties, coupled with isolated incidents of 
violence and intimidation in the Kasai provinces, the DRC's 
July 30 presidential and legislative elections were held in a 
largely calm and orderly fashion. Voter turnout nationwide 
appears to be high nationwide -- particularly in the eastern 
part of the country -- and certainly greater than the 
country's December constitutional referendum. Police and 
security forces appeared well-trained and maintained order 
where necessary. As voting winds down in areas where polls 
were kept open because of logistical problems on election 
day, the count is underway, though official results will not 
be known for another three weeks. End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Voters in the Democratic Republic of Congo headed to 
the polls July 30 for the country's first free multi-party 
election in more than 40 years. The DRC's 25.7 million 
registered voters chose among 33 candidates for president, 
and 9,709 candidates for 500 seats in the National Assembly. 
U.S. Mission observers, as well as those from many Congolese 
and international observation missions nationwide, report 
operations were generally smooth and orderly, with voters 
coming out to cast ballots in large numbers. Independent 
Electoral Commission (CEI) officials said turnout appeared to 
be very high in the eastern provinces. In Kinshasa, where 
voter participation was around 40 percent for the December 
constitutional referendum, the CEI and other observers report 
turnout to be noticeably higher. Turnout appears to have been 
lowest in Eastern and Western Kasai provinces -- the 
strongholds of the opposition Union for Democracy and Social 
Progress (UDPS), which boycotted elections -- due in part to 
voter intimidation. 
 
¶3. (SBU) MONUC and CEI officials said voting operations will 
continue July 31 in the cities of Mbuji Mayi and Mwene Ditu 
(Eastern Kasai) and Mweka (Western Kasai) to allow voters who 
did not have to opportunity to cast ballots yesterday to do 
so today. These affected sites will be open for the 
regulation eleven hours for voting and then ballots will be 
counted. As reported reftels, four polling stations in Mwene 
Ditu were set on fire early in the morning of July 30, while 
134 voting kits in Mbuji Mayi were destroyed in a fire July 
29, preventing some polling sites from opening. In Mweka 
(approximately 40 miles northwest of Kananga), MONUC reports 
58 polling stations were destroyed by protesters who claimed 
a National Assembly candidate and his wife were attempting to 
buy votes with cash and had filled out fraudulent ballots. 
MONUC officials said there was no proof of these allegations, 
and that the security situation had improved enough by the 
afternoon of July 30 to re-open some voting sites late in the 
day. In Mbuji Mayi, some UDPS militants tried to intimidate 
voters by calling for a "ville morte," burning tires in the 
streets, and engaging in isolated acts of aggression against 
the population. 
 
¶4. (U) The voting sites affected by the events in the Kasais, 
however, represent significantly less than one percent of the 
nearly 50,000 polling stations that opened nationwide. 
Reports from various international observer missions indicate 
no other major security incidents took place, and police were 
generally present to maintain order. Many observers commended 
the professionalism of police officers assigned to provide 
security at polling sites, noting that police took an active 
role in keeping voting lines orderly and operations running 
smoothly. In Kinshasa, police presence was noticeable 
throughout the city, but did not appear to pose any threat of 
voter intimidation. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In many polling stations, vote counting is still 
continuing July 31. Reports from observers in Kinshasa, Ituri 
District, plus Bas-Congo and North Kivu provinces, indicate 
many poll workers finished counting presidential ballots late 
on the night of July 30, slept in the polling stations 
overnight, then began counting legislative ballots the next 
morning. While observers reported that voting operations 
unfolded rather smoothly, several concerns were reported. In 
Kinshasa, there were unconfirmed cases of voters using 
fraudulent ID cards or selling their cards to others. Many 
polling sites in urban areas -- particularly Kinshasa -- did 
not have enough ballot boxes to hold the six-page legislative 
ballots, resulting in some poll workers having to stack 
ballots cast in a pile on top of the boxes themselves. 
Difficulties were encountered as well in the counting 
process, as the size and number of ballots made counting 
 
KINSHASA 00001213  002 OF 003 
 
 
time-consuming, especially as poll workers tried to ensure 
the transparency of the process in front of observers and 
political party witnesses. Observers also reported many poll 
workers -- in addition to witnesses and Congolese observers 
-- fell asleep during the vote counting as operations dragged 
on well past midnight. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Another difficulty expressed to observers was the 
non-payment of salaries to CEI workers and police officers. 
Many polling agents complained they had not received the 
money promised by the CEI, although in some cases polling 
center officials said the money would be arriving later in 
the day. In some instances, poll workers even refused to 
continue counting balloting unless they were first fed. Many 
police officers questioned by Mission observers also said 
they had not yet been paid. With the exception of those CEI 
agents who suspended their work in order to eat, most all 
other polling station personnel -- including the police -- 
completed their responsibilities July 30 out of a sense of 
civic duty and did not create any security or operational 
problems. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Despite these anomalies, most Congolese appear to be 
initially satisfied with the electoral process. Kinshasa's 
newspapers -- even much of the opposition press -- are 
declaring the elections to have been a success even while 
noting some of the problems encountered. The electoral 
process, however, is now entering perhaps its most difficult 
phase as the counting continues and results start to become 
known. The irregularities outlined above, along with many 
others, will undoubtedly lead to a significant number of 
electoral challenges in the weeks to come. Electoral losers 
could well use any of these issues to contest results and 
cast doubt on the legitimacy of elections, particularly if 
the ballot compilation process continues for a long period of 
time. 
 
¶8. (U) To that end, CEI President Abbe Apollinaire Malu Malu 
released the evening of July 30 the calendar for the next 
round of elections, including dates for provisional and final 
results for the presidential and legislative contests. 
According to the new calendar, provisional results for the 
presidential race should be announced no earlier than August 
20, while final results are expected no earlier (following a 
ruling on electoral challenges by the Supreme Court) than 
August 31. For National Assembly elections, provisional 
results will be announced on a rolling basis as they are 
tabulated, ending by September 4. Following a two-month 
period (stipulated by the DRC's electoral law) of examining 
election challenges, the Supreme Court is expected to make 
its rulings known by November 9. 
 
¶9. (U) The CEI has set October 29 as the date for the second 
round of elections, which will include voting for provincial 
assemblies as well as a second-round of presidential 
balloting, if necessary. (Note: If no candidate receives an 
absolute majority in the first round, a runoff will be held 
between the top two candidates. End note.)  Should another 
round of presidential voting be required, final results are 
expected to be announced as early as November 30. According 
to the CEI's calendar, if one candidate wins in the July 30 
vote, he will enter into office by September 10; a victor in 
the second round of voting would be inaugurated and assume 
the office by December 10. (Note: These dates are determined 
by the electoral law, which states that the newly-elected 
president must take office within the 10 days following the 
announcement of final voting results. End note.) 
 
¶10. (SBU) Comment: Voting in the DRC, which has been a 
logistical nightmare in many cases, came off much better than 
most observers expected. The apparently high turnout is 
encouraging, especially in light of the constant complaints 
and distractions of the political naysayers. Certainly the 
vote was not perfect, nor was it expected to be under the 
conditions Congolese poll workers faced: no electricity, 
extreme working conditions, the lack of voter education, and 
no previous free elections in the country for more than four 
decades. CEI officials showed initiative when attempting to 
overcome some of the vote's logistical challenges, such as 
the lack of ballot boxes or sufficient lighting in polling 
stations. Such "innovations," however, may prove to be useful 
fodder for potential election spoilers who may look for any 
pretext to cast doubt on the fairness of the vote. The coming 
weeks will be a crucial period. As results become known, 
losers will have to accept results, and winners will have to 
reach out to their former opponents. The CEI as well will 
 
KINSHASA 00001213  003 OF 003 
 
 
face the difficult task of managing expectations and keeping 
the public regularly informed about each step of the 
electoral process between now and the announcement of final 
results. Overall, however, despite dire predictions by some 
even within the DRC, the country's elections can at this 
point be considered a success. End comment. 
MEECE