A new step towards the presidential election is scheduled in the DRC on December 20th, 2023: the submission of candidacies, which begins this Saturday, September 9th. Those aspiring to the highest office have until October 8 at 4:30 PM (Kinshasa time) to submit their dossier at the headquarters of the Electoral Commission in Gombe, in the heart of the Congolese capital.
The office for registering dossiers is now a mandatory stop for future presidential candidates, opening on Saturday, September 9th, at the headquarters of the Electoral Commission in Gombe. For all contenders, the first requirement is to pay the filing fee of 160 million Congolese francs (approximately $64,000 or €60,000). And that’s not the only condition.
To be eligible for this election, one must be of Congolese nationality, be at least 30 years old, have full civil and political rights, hold a higher education degree, or demonstrate at least five years of experience in the political, administrative, or socio-economic field, and finally, have a voter ID card.
A condition that the camp of former President Joseph Kabila will find difficult to meet since they boycotted the voter registration and do not intend to participate in the year-end elections. This is also the case for Ecide, the party of Martin Fayulu, which is unlikely to submit a candidacy. The opposition leader continues to demand a new external audit of the voter register.
In total, nearly a dozen politicians have expressed their interest. It remains to be seen how many will ultimately submit their dossier to the Independent National Electoral Commission for this single-round election. There were 21 candidates on the starting line in 2018.