Addis Ababa, 6 August 2018: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, closely follows developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as the date of 8 August, set for the closing of the submission of candidatures for the presidential and legislative elections of 23 December 2018, approaches. He welcomes the significant progress already made, and notes with satisfaction that, in his 19 July 2018 message to the nation, President Joseph Kabila reaffirmed that the elections would be held on time and restated his commitment regarding the respect for the Constitution.

At this crucial stage of the electoral process, the Chairperson of the Commission reiterates the need for all stakeholders, including the Tripartite made up of the Government, the National Independent Electoral Commission and the National Monitoring Committee of the New Year’s Eve Political Agreement, to ensure peaceful, transparent and truly inclusive elections are held. It is crucial that respect for the rights and freedoms of all Congolese, as guaranteed by the Constitution and relevant African and international instruments, is ensured, alongside the implementation of appropriate confidence-building measures, to create an environment conducive to a level playing electoral field.

The Chairperson of the Commission stresses that the fulfillment of these requirements will guarantee the credibility of the electoral process, while at the same time contributing to the preservation of the important gains made in recent years and to the future stability of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Accordingly, he calls on all political actors to act responsibly and in the best interests of their country, which must prevail over all other considerations.

For its part, and guided by its relevant instruments, including the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, the African Union will spare no efforts to help mobilize the necessary technical and logistical support for the successful organization of the elections scheduled for December 2018.