UN invites Congolese to resolve poll disputes peacefully

With the provisional results of national legislative elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) having now been announced, the United Nations on Thursday encouraged all actors to use legal channels for resolving any disputes and refrain from the use of force or violence.

Millions of Congolese went to the polls on Nov 28 last year to cast votes in presidential and parliamentary elections. While the presidential results were announced earlier, the country's Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) released the provisional results of the legislative polls regarding 162 of the 169 electoral districts on Jan 26 and on Wednesday.

It recommended to the Supreme Court that the results of the remaining seven electoral districts be nullified, according to a news release issued by the UN peacekeeping mission in DRC (MONUSCO), which took note of the announcement.

"MONUSCO welcomes the peaceful atmosphere which has been observed throughout the country since the announcement of these results," it stated.

"It encourages all candidates and political actors to use the legally prescribed channels for the resolution of disputes, and to refrain from the use of force or violence."

The mission also reminded all parties concerned that it is continuing to closely monitor human rights violations and acts of violence committed, notably, in the context of the elections.

It called on Congolese authorities to respect human rights obligations, particularly the rights to liberty, to freedom of movement and to freedom of expression.

MONUSCO provided technical and logistical support to the organization of the November polls - the second time since independence from Belgium in 1960 that the country has held multi-party elections.