Commentary

First election in 46 years

The Democratic Republic of the Congo held its first multiparty elections in 46 years on Sunday. Approximately 23 million registered voters made their way to some 50,000 polling stations scattered across a nation the size of Western Europe. Over 9,000 candidates were competing to fill 500 seats in the new parliament, and 33 contenders were seeking the presidency.

Over the past ten years, Congo has experienced two major wars which have cost millions of lives. I think that a brief summary of this country’s tortured history is necessary in order to appreciate the significance of a national multiparty election.

King Leopold II of Belgium colonized Congo in the late 19th century in order to properly strip the land of its natural resources- England, Germany and France were all joining in on the pillaging of African lands in the 19th and 20th centuries. Eventually, Belgium grew tired with age, and in 1960 granted Congo its independence.

Patrice Lumumba was elected Prime Minister that year. Unfortunately he was assassinated a few weeks after he assumed office. This set the stage for a motivated young army colonel named Mobutu Sese Seko to grab the reins of power. He soon morphed into a thieving, palace-building dictator. Sese Seko also benefited from the support of the West during the Cold War.

In 1997, after 32 years of criminal rule, Sese Seko was deposed by Laurant D. Kabila.
As with many coups, this one was funded by outside interests. Two of Congo’s neighbors, Rwanda and Uganda, joined forces to assist Kabila in the removal of Sese Seko.

It didn’t take long for Kabila to develop a thirst for the luxuries afforded by autocratic rule. This plunge into extreme selfishness annoyed his original sponsors. Rwanda and Uganda sent in troops and sponsored opposition forces in an attempt to oust Kabila from power.

Mr. Kabila then called on Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe for assistance. This civil war soon spiraled into a fight for Congo’s resources between foreign armies. Over the past 8 years, four million Congolese have died, mainly due to starvation and disease.

Laurant Kabila was assassinated in 2001, and his son, Joseph, assumed the presidency and is the current favorite in the election. Although government of the Joseph Kabila has been described as “largely predatory” by the International Crisis Group, he has agreed to hold elections and has reached out to his enemies, even welcoming some into the government.

The election has cost $458 million, and is the largest and most difficult the UN has ever run. The presence of 17,600 peacekeepers in Congo has helped to curb pre-election violence and voter intimidation.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is plagued by poverty and corruption, and in many remote areas thugs in militias and criminal warlords are preventing people from voting. Although there are enormous problems to overcome, the fact that people are voting for the first time in 46 years signifies the first steps toward healing a nation and stabilizing a troubled region.

© 2006 Splendid Marbles.