The Carter Center International Election Observation Mission to Democratic Republic of Congo 2006 Presidential and Legislative Elections Final Report One Copenhill 453 Freedom Parkway Atlanta, GA 30307 (404) 420-5188 Fax (404) 420-5196 www.cartercenter.org CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..........................................................................................................5 POLITICAL BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................15 CONFLICT IN THE DRC ................................................................................................ 15 INTERNATIONAL ACTORS ............................................................................................. 18 SELECT INTERNATIONAL NONGOVERNMENTAL ACTORS ............................................. 20 ELECTION SECURITY .................................................................................................... 21 LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR ELECTIONS ................................................................................ 24 CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM .................................................................................. 24 GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS ....................................................................................... 25 ELECTION ADMINISTRATION ........................................................................................ 26 ELECTORAL SYSTEM .................................................................................................... 26 POLITICAL PARTIES ...................................................................................................... 29 WOMEN’S REPRESENTATION ....................................................................................... 29 POLITICAL FINANCE ..................................................................................................... 30 ELECTORAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION .............................................................................. 30 HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS .................................................................................... 32 PRE-ELECTION OBSERVATION .............................................................................................33 ELECTION PREPARATIONS ............................................................................................ 33 POLITICAL PARTIES ...................................................................................................... 42 SELECTED PARTY PROFILES ......................................................................................... 42 PRE-CAMPAIGN POLITICAL TENSIONS .......................................................................... 44 POLITICAL COALITIONS ............................................................................................... 46 ELECTION CAMPAIGN .................................................................................................. 47 CHALLENGES TO THE CREDIBILITY OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS ............................... 49 CAMPAIGN FINANCE .................................................................................................... 50 MEDIA ......................................................................................................................... 51 DOMESTIC OBSERVERS ................................................................................................ 52 POLLING OBSERVATION: JULY 20 PRESIDENTIAL AND LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS ................54 FIRST-ROUND TABULATION ......................................................................................... 54 FIRST-ROUND ELECTION RESULTS ............................................................................... 58 VIOLENCE FOLLOWS ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS .................................................... 59 PRE-ELECTION OBSERVATION, SECOND ROUND .................................................................61 POLLING OBSERVATION: OCT. 29 PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF AND PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS ...69 SECOND-ROUND ELECTION RESULTS ........................................................................... 70 POSTELECTION VIOLENCE IN KINSHASA ...................................................................... 71 ELECTORAL DISPUTES ................................................................................................. 71 PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS .............................................................................................. 74 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................75 ELECTION ADMINISTRATION ........................................................................................ 75 POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS ................................................................................................ 76 POLITICAL PARTY FINANCE ......................................................................................... 77 VOTING ........................................................................................................................ 77 2 COUNTING ................................................................................................................... 79 TABULATION ................................................................................................................ 80 ELECTION-DAY SECURITY ............................................................................................ 80 ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS ..................................................................................... 80 MEDIA ......................................................................................................................... 81 CIVIC EDUCATION ........................................................................................................ 81 CONFIDENCE AND SECURITY ....................................................................................... 82 ELECTION DISPUTE RESOLUTION ................................................................................. 83 DOMESTIC OBSERVATION ............................................................................................ 83 APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................85 APPENDIX A ACKNOWLEDGMENTS APPENDIX B DELEGATION MEMBERS, FIRST ROUND—JULY 30, 2006 APPENDIX C DELEGATION MEMBERS, SECOND ROUND—OCT. 29, 2006 APPENDIX D TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS APPENDIX E LETTER OF INVITATION—ENGLISH APPENDIX F LETTER OF INVITATION—FRENCH APPENDIX G COMPOSITION OF TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT APPENDIX H CARTER CENTER OBSERVER DEPLOYMENT, FIRST ROUND APPENDIX I CARTER CENTER OBSERVER DEPLOYMENT, SECOND ROUND APPENDIX J DRC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES 2006 APPENDIX K PRESIDENTIAL AND LEGISLATIVE ELECTION RESULTS, FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS APPENDIX L CARTER CENTER STATEMENTS APPENDIX M OBSERVATION FORMS APPENDIX N LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT OBSERVED THE ELECTIONS 3 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 2006 presidential and legislative If well governed and successful at elections in the Democratic Republic of bringing about peace in its eastern Congo (DRC) represent a milestone in regions, the DRC has the potential to both Congolese and African history. The become an economic powerhouse and DRC, Africa’s third largest country in serve as a catalyst for the development area and fourth largest in population, of Central Africa and the entire emerged in the late 1990s from 30 years continent. of brutal dictatorship only to fall into what the United Nations referred to as FRAGILE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS the “world’s greatest humanitarian crisis.” A civil war, involving a half- Despite remaining pockets of armed dozen armies from neighboring conflict in the eastern part of the countries, left millions dead in the last country, the Congolese peace process decade. The 2006 elections marked the made dramatic strides as citizens formal culmination of a transitional prepared for their first multiparty peace process underway since 2003 and democratic elections in 2006. Many ex- represented the Congolese people’s first combatants demobilized and concrete, real chance for peace and democracy though insufficient, advances were made since independence in 1960. toward establishing an integrated national army. Monetary stability These elections were the last and best returned as well and inflation, which hope for maintaining the current stood at 630 percent in 1998, was down tentative peace in the DRC, the to less than three percent by early 2004. consequences of which reach beyond its borders to the subregion and even impact Although the Sun City Peace Accord the continent as a whole. The called for elections by June 2005, a consequences are also economic. A provision enabled up to two delays of six successful electoral process is a months each. In a swirl of uncertainty necessary step in the long road of and political suspicion, the government building a stable and prosperous invoked these delays, citing the economy in Central Africa. The Congo postponed adoption of the electoral law has tremendous natural resources but by the National Assembly and the they have not been managed to the challenges of establishing an election benefit of the population. The commission capable of conducting an presidential and legislative elections held election in the conditions of the DRC. on July 20 and Oct. 29, 2006, produced the Congo’s first democratically elected Once the legislative framework was leaders in 40 years. Incumbent President adopted, election authorities registered Joseph Kabila