Democratic Republic of Congo elections

Catherine Eyaba Nzowu, a prospective Mennonite Brethren politician, hands out posters outside the Kintambo MB Church.

Number 496, page 4. Number 615, page 5.

Numbers on a long, detailed ballot. Evidence that Mennonite Brethren in the Democratic Republic of Congo wish to become involved in government to right a long-capsized country.

Congolese people have suffered greatly: under brutal Belgian colonial rule; through the long dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko which birthed the term kleptocracy because of his wanton looting of the country; through horrifying economy-and-spirit-destroying pillages in 1991 and 1993; through a civil war that left four million dead, mostly out of sight and concern from the rest of the world.

In recent years, an unelected conglomeration of rivals has formed the government. Infrastructure is largely nonexistent. Besides the army and police, private militias lurk in nearby shadows, loyal to the four vice-presidents. Anarchy is often the rule.

But is democracy finally coming to the DR Congo? Most ordinary Congolese fervently hope so.

Despite an eternity of bad examples in leadership, the vast majority of Congolese people rose on July 30 determined to have a peaceful say in the future of their homeland. That day, the first round of presidential and national deputy elections passed, for the most part, peacefully.

Pascal Kulungu, right, and representatives of the National Electoral Commission and the Church of Christ in Congo give last minute instructions to international observers.

Reason for hope

Proud to vote for the first time in his life, a man displays his voter card.

Polls were to open at 6 a.m. Many opened an hour or two late as election workers, none with previous experience preparing for a free election, meticulously organized polling stations. Voters waited calmly in line, excited for their first opportunity to vote. Police set aside their usual role of terrorizing the general populace and, for a day, became servants of the people. The voting ended at 5 p.m.

There were scattered reports of irregularities and disruptions, particularly in Mbuji Mayi and strife-torn areas in the northeast, but, in the overall picture, these were minor. Counting took place with observers and party representatives in attendance. Virtually all reports suggested counting was done transparently and correctly.

The inspiring reaction of the common people to the first free election in 45 years gave reason for hope, regardless of how the “big men” of the country may ultimately affect the final results. With good, elected leadership, with a reasonably paid police force geared towards serving, with money placed into infrastructure rather than pockets, with patience, the DR Congo can have a hopeful future for the first time.

Tabulating the results was scheduled to take three weeks. Visiting heavily fortified compilation centres after the election, it was easy to see there was still room for mistakes and interference.

By the third day after the election, the centres included an intentionally visible United Nations and European police armed presence. Two police officers, from Italy and the Netherlands, were asked what they were doing at the compilation centre. With a nod towards Congolese police lining the perimeter, one answered, “Watching them.”

Back to the numbers. A significant number of Mennonite Brethren candidates competed for elected positions, including numbers 496 and 615.

The presidential ballot included 33 names in alphabetical order with corresponding numbers and photographs of each hopeful. The photographs allowed illiterate people to know which box to check for their candidate.

The national deputy ballots in Kinshasa were much larger. The city was divided into four. Kinshasa 1 included 885 candidates running for 14 seats. The ballot was six large poster-sized pages. Candidates were nearly impossible to find without a system to follow. All candidates, therefore, campaigned with a heavy stress on their candidate and page numbers.

A national deputies ballot is posted outside a polling station so people can figure out where their preferred candidate is found before entering the voting booth.

Advocates for peace

Number 615, page 5, belonged to well-known Mennonite Brethren leader Pascal Kulungu. Kulungu was the first person invited by the ECC (Church of Christ in the Congo) to enter the political fray on behalf of Christians.

Kulungu explained that only the wealthy could hold Western-style election rallies. Under Mobutu a culture of receiving gifts to show up for rallies was firmly entrenched. It continues to this day and candidates that cannot supply gifts can face violent reactions. However, speaking in churches was safe. Gifts were not expected there.

His primary reason for entering the race for national deputy, stated Kulungu, was to bring a culture of peace to government. He believes Mennonites have much to offer. He warned people that those giving gifts now will only take, once they are in power. He counselled people to vote for Christians committed to peace and reconciliation.

Along with many other church leaders, Kulungu emphasized, “Pray for the elections. Pray for them when you go to bed on the night of the 29th. Pray for them when you rise on the 30th.”

Number 496, page 4, represented Charlotee Djimbo, a dynamic Mennonite Brethren leader. Djimbo is a strong advocate on behalf of poor women, looking to empower them to take control of their own lives, to create small businesses, and to exist with dignity and equality.

Other Mennonite Brethren also ran in Kinshasa and a handful in rural areas.

On my last afternoon in Kinshasa, as concern and rumours grew out of the stories coming out of compilation centres, I asked Kulungu if he was still optimistic. Without hesitation he answered, “Yes.”

The dignified, inspiring actions of ordinary Congolese on July 30 would suggest that optimism is ultimately well-founded but will it bear fruit now or only years from now? Will the immediate future be dictatorship, democracy, or war? It is still impossible to know.

If no candidate wins more than 50 percent in the first, a second round of presidential voting between the two leading candidates is scheduled for October 29. Local elections, including more Mennonite candidates in the running, will take place at the same time.

Ray Dirks of Winnipeg, an artist and former MBMS International worker in DR Congo, was among the international election observers.

All photos copyright Ray Dirks, 2006.