Carter Center: Congo Assembly Elections ‘Compromised’

Posted February 24th, 2012 at 1:00 pm (UTC-5)
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A U.S.-based election monitor says the integrity of Congo's legislative polls has been “compromised,” and that the true results may never be known.

The Carter Center released its report about the Democratic Republic of Congo's elections late Thursday.

It said that because of disorganization during and after the polls, it may be impossible for Congo's election commission to reconstruct poll results and produce “a faithful record of the will of the people.”

International observers said vote counting after the late-November polls was chaotic, with many ballots and polling station tallies being lost.

In an interview with VOA , commission chief Ngoy Mulunda rejected the criticism, saying the Carter Center favors opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi.

Mulunda said that whatever Tshisekedi says, the Carter Center repeats it. He said they are not neutral and we do not care what they say.

Tshisekedi lost Congo's presidential election to incumbent leader Joseph Kabila. The Carter Center has questioned the integrity of the presidential results as well.

The official legislative results showed Mr. Kabila's party losing nearly 50 seats in the National Assembly, though parties aligned with the president still control a majority.

Tshisekedi's party led the opposition with 41 seats.

In its report Thursday, the Carter Center said many Congolese do not view the election commission and Supreme Court as trustworthy.