The independent electoral commission of South Kivu tested.

Which law applies to examine candidacies for the post of Governor in South Kivu Province?

In his meeting with journalists Mr Gaudens Maheshe, the chairman of the independent electoral commission in South Kivu, gave the reasons why 4 of the 8 candidacies for the post of Governor of South Kivu province were rejected. The majority of the audience believed that the reasons advanced by the electoral commission did not hold at all. Among the accepted candidacies  we find that of Mr Guhanika Ganywamulume (lawyer), Mr Kahukula René, Mr Mwanza Amisi Singoma and Mr Muderhwa Cirimwami Louis Léonce. The rejected ones are those of Mr Bulambo Kilosho Jean Marie, Mr Rubota Masumbuko François, Mr Bisimwa Balaluka and Mr Chizungu Wenceslas.

As for Mr Bulambo Kilosho Jean Marie, the electoral argued that he did not hand in the letter to proving that he has left his political party  the “Parti de l’Alliance Nationale pour l’Unité” (PANU), an important criterion that could allow him to appear as an independent candidate. The chairman added that PANU is a political party member of the Alliance for the Presidential Majority whose candidate was Mr Muderhwa louis Léonce. Similar reasons were advanced to reject the candidacy of Chizungu Wenceslas from “Parti pour la Conscience du Peuple “ ( PCP).

Being in the same situation Mr Rubota Masumbuko François from “ Parti Congolais pour la Bonne Gouvernance” (PCBG), presented the required letter but the electoral commission restricted by advancing another reason. The commission said he works for the Ministry of Health and didn’t hand in his resignation letter from this ministry the day he handed in his candidacy. An argument that does not hold according to analysts and observers who proved that Rubota Masumbuko does not work for the ministry of health. Instead, he works as a medical personnel at Panzi Hospital. Mr Bisimwa Balaluka was sidelined almost for the same reason as Rubota Masumbuko.

A deadline of 48 hours was given to candidates to introduce their appeal, if there is any, to the highest court of Bukavu.

The association Héritiers de la Justice finds that similar cases happened in different areas in DRC where candidates presented themselves as independent irrespective of their political party and they were elected. It happened in North Kivu, Kasai occidental, Bas Congo, etc. and such candidates were elected in accordance with the electing law No 06/006 of 2006.03.09, which is still taken into account up to now.

Since the same causes produce the same effects, the association fears that the governor who‘ll be elected next time might ran the same risks as his predecessor.

Héritiers de la Justice calls upon political sincerity so as to avoid launching the province of South Kivu and its inhabitants into another chaos.