As the Congolese people prepare to vote on December 20 for their president, provincial and national deputies, and municipal councilors, candidates are already campaigning, and civil society is urging greater transparency. Calls for the resignation of candidates holding public office, and disclosure of candidates’ income and tax status, among other recommendations, are coming from various civil society organizations.
The primary goal of these civil society organizations is to prevent the illicit enrichment of future elected officials, the misuse of state funds for campaigns, and conflicts of interest.
For instance, the organization “Congo Is Not for Sale” recommends the disclosure of income for presidential candidates. Jean-Claude Mputu, the spokesperson for Congo Is Not for Sale, asserts, “No one wants citizens to know where they got their money, how they became rich, how they could afford to pay $65,000 each to be a candidate, where the funds for their campaign come from. Especially for ministers, the outgoing president, and public appointees, on what basis they invest the millions they have. So, we can easily see that they are not very receptive to our calls for transparency.”
Candidates pledge to comply with the law
Financial transparency is a topic discussed by various political parties. For example, with the candidate Moïse Katumbi, it is assured that they will comply with the law, which means declaring assets to the Constitutional Court if the candidate is elected.
Christian Mwando, the spokesperson for Moïse Katumbi’s party, states, “We know that civil society values this a lot. I believe it is necessary for the Republic. In our program, we decided to establish a national ethics committee that will be responsible for monitoring the assets of public figures.”
Regarding candidate Tshisekedi, his spokesperson also assures compliance with the law, which does not require a declaration of assets or tax status beforehand. He highlights the “efforts and progress” made during the presidential term on issues of combating corruption and promoting good governance. However, this assessment is contested by the opposition.