(English version down) Depuis que le processus électoral, en vue des échéances de 2015-2016 en RDC a été lancé, les risques des élections sélectives continuent à se dessiner. Le spectre est surtout traduit par l’absence de politique pour atteindre des électeurs des coins reculés, dans le cadre de la fourniture des duplicatas, condition sine qua non de la participation pour le cas des électeurs ayant perdu leurs cartes.
Ils sont nombreux, ces électeurs dont les cartes sont perdues en raison des crises qu'a connu le pays, notamment dans sa partie Est, depuis 2011, la dernière livraison des cartes d'électeurs. Dans les coins reculés, des électeurs sans moyens de déplacement pour atteindre les bureaux de la CENI, éloignés de leurs villages, sans argent pour se procurer des procès verbaux délivrés par des OPJ sont simplement découragés par la lourdeur du processus. Sans compter les couts du déplacement et de la restauration, l’obtention du duplicata coute entre 1000 et 5000 francs, soit près de 10% du salaire d’un enseignant en RDC. Kakule Kanduvula habite le village de Masyolo en Groupement Madiwe, Secteur de Beni Mbau en Territoire de Beni. Inaccessible par voie routière, ce village est situé à environs 70 km à l’Ouest de Beni ville où se trouve le centre de livraison des cartes duplicata. Pour arriver à Beni, Kanduvula doit débourser 20 mille francs pour le transport d’un aller simple, soit près de 20% du salaire d’un enseignant. Pourtant lui n’est qu’un simple agriculteur, gagne petit, il n’a qu’une moyenne de 15 dollars chaque mois, issu de la vente des ses produits agricoles. Plutôt que de dépenser cet argent, il choisit de continuer à cultiver son champ et se passer des élections, dont il doute même de la tenue. Comme lui, ils sont nombreux, d’autres électeurs qui se trouvent dans la même situation et sont exposés au risque de découragement. Ajouter à cela des difficultés sécuritaires dans nombreuses zones, l'on s'aperçoit sans lunette que le taux de participation souffrira du manque de cartes d'électeurs par nombreux citoyens qui en ont été privés par des circonstances conjoncturelles: insécurité, vieillissement, etc. Du nombre des couches vulnérables exposées à ce risque se trouvent les pygmées. En brousse et sans moyens, ils sont carrément dans les oubliettes.
Faible engouement des électeurs
Plusieurs raisons expliquent ce faible engouement, pense un enseignant à l'Institut Mbanza en cité de Bulongo, à l’Est du Territoire de Beni. D'abord les élections de 2011 ont été entachées de plusieurs irrégularités et les gens craignent que ce soit le même scénario cette année, explique cet enseignant qui a voulu requérir l'anonymat. Ensuite, les centres où les gens sont appelés à vérifier leurs noms sur les listes électorales sont situés à des grandes distances, mais aussi, obtenir des cartes duplicatas, c'est un véritable casse tete. Il faut aller à plus de 80 km pour l'obtenir et le processus dure jusqu'à une semaine, poursuit-il avant de s'interroger, perdre une semaine pour quel intérêt ? Aussi, Kahindo Kikura, habitant de la e cité de Kasindi, frontalière avec l’Ouganda, une cité située à l'est du Territoire de Beni reste dubitatif quant à la crédibilité des élections surtout qu'il pense que les autorités ont mis peu de moyens pour impliquer la population dans le processus. "Il y a des gens qui viennent de plusieurs dizaines de kilomètres pour venir voir si leurs noms figurent sur les listes électorales, reprend-il. Pourtant, depuis que les massacres sont perpétrés en Territoire de Beni, nombreux vivent en déplacés. Ils n'ont plus suffisamment de moyens. Il fallait que la CENI organise un système mobile comme les campagnes de vaccination, plaide Kahindo. Cependant, Pamularire Salamu, Directeur de l’Ecole Primaire Utaratibu agent du Bureau de Vote implanté dans cette école en cité de Bulongo nuance et encourage les citoyens à faire preuve de patriotisme. « Si les gens sont découragés par la mauvaise gouvernance actuelle dans le pays, il faut qu’ils sachent que la seule façon de sanctionner cette mauvaise gouvernance ce sont les élections », rappelle-t-il. Depuis décembre 2014, la Commission Electorale, Nationale et Indépendante, CENI, institution chargée de l'organisation des élections en RDC, a lancé le processus de livraison des duplicata aux électeurs ayant perdu leurs cartes. Il s'agit d'une des étapes du processus de révision et de fiabilisation du fichier électoral, après la cartographie. L’inquiétude autour de la bonne tenue des prochains scrutins électoraux est donc là justifiée par des nombreuses situations que la CENI devrait prendre en compte avant que le pire ne s’observe, souhaite le Groupe d’Associations de Défense des Droits Humains et de la Paix, GADHOP. Le Foyer de Développement pour l'Autopromotion des Pygmées et Indigènes Défavorisés, FDAPID une organisations des défenses des droits humains, basée au Nord Kivu, à l'Est de la RDC se joint à l'inquiétude de GADHOP et a initié cette note de plaidoyer.
Deogratias KAKULE SIKU
Animateur Communication, Droits Humains et Bonne Gouvernance GADHOP
Electoral process in DR Congo, risk of exclusion of the vulnerable
Since the electoral process, in view of deadlines of 2015-2016 in RDC has been launched, selective election risks continue to draw itself. The specter is especially translated by the absence of politics to reach voters living in remote corners, in the setting of the duplicate supplying, essential condition of the involvement in the case of electors having lost their cards.
They are numerous, these voters whose cards are lost because of crises that knew the country, notably in its eastern part, since 2011, the last delivery of voter cards. In the remote corners, voters without means of displacement to reach the CENI offices, distant from their villages, without money to obtain the verbal suits delivered by the OPJs are discouraged merely by the heaviness of the process. Without counting costs of the displacement and the restoration, the obtaining of the duplicate costs between 1000 and 5000 francs, either about 10% of a teacher's salary in DRC. Kakule Kanduvula lives in the village of Masyolo in Grouping Madiwe, Sector of Beni Mbau in Territory of Beni. Inaccessible by road way, this village is situated to vicinities 70 km to the west of Beni town, where the center of cards duplicate delivery is situated. To arrive at Beni, Kanduvula must pay out 20 thousand francs for the transportation of a one way ticket, either close to 20% of a teacher's salary. Nevertheless, his is only a simple agriculturist. Small winner, he has only an average of 15 dollars every month, earned from the sale of his agricultural products. Instead of spending this money, he chooses to continue to cultivate his field and to ignore elections, of which he even doubts holding. As him, they are numerous, other voters who are in the same situation and are exposed to the risk of discouragement. Adding to this, security difficulties in numerous zones, one perceives without telescope that the rate of involvement will endure the lack of voter cards by numerous citizens that have been deprived by the circumstantial circumstances: insecurity, ageing, etc. Among the vulnerable layers exposed to this risk there are the Pygmies. In bush and without means they are frankly in omission.
Weak obstruction of voters
Several reasons explain this weak obstruction, a Mbanza institute teacher in city of Bulongo, to the East of the Territory of Blessed thinks. First, elections of 2011 have been blemished by several irregularities and people fear that it is the same script this year, this teacher who wanted to require anonymity explains. Then, centers where people are called to verify their names on the electoral lists are situated far from their homes, but also, to get duplicated cards, it is very hard. It needs to go to more than 80 km to get it and the process lasts until one week, he pursues before wondering: “to lose one week for what interest?” Also, Kahindo Kikura, living in the Township of Kasindi, at the border with Uganda, situated to the East of the Territory of Beni, remains dubitative about the credibility of elections especially as he thinks that authorities put few means to imply the population in the process. There are people that come from several score of kilometers to come to see if their names are taken back on the electoral lists. Yet, since massacres are perpetrated in Territory of Beni, numerous live in out of place. They don't have sufficiently means. It was necessary that the CENI organizes a mobile system as of vaccination countries, Kahindo pleads. However, Pamularire Salamu, the primary school Director of Utaratibu and agent of the voting station implanted in this school in township of Bulongo nuances and encourages citizens to show evidence of patriotism. "If people are discouraged by the bad governance in the country, it is necessary that they know that the only way to punish this bad governance that is elections", Pamularire recalls. Since December 2014, the Electoral, National and Independent Commission, CENI, institution charged of the elections organization in DR Congo, has launched the process of duplicate delivery to voters having lost their cards. It is one of stages of the process of revision and of credibility searching for the electoral file, after the cartography processes. The concern around the good held of the next electoral voting is therefore there justified by the numerous situations that the CENI should take in account before the worse doesn't observe himself, the Groupe d’Associations de Defense des Droits de l’Homme et de la Paix, GADHOP wishs. The “Foyer de Développement pour l'Autopromotion des Pygmées et Indigènes Défavorisés, FDAPID one of organizations charged of the human right defenses, based in the North Kivu, to the East of the DR Congo joins itself also the concern of GADHOP and initiated this note of advocacy.
NOTE DE PLAIDOYER_Pygmées face au processus électoral en RDC_au secours
Electoral process in DR Congo, risk of exclusion of the vulnerable
Since the electoral process, in view of deadlines of 2015-2016 in RDC has been launched, selective election risks continue to draw itself. The specter is especially translated by the absence of politics to reach voters living in remote corners, in the setting of the duplicate supplying, essential condition of the involvement in the case of electors having lost their cards.
They are numerous, these voters whose cards are lost because of crises that knew the country, notably in its eastern part, since 2011, the last delivery of voter cards. In the remote corners, voters without means of displacement to reach the CENI offices, distant from their villages, without money to obtain the verbal suits delivered by the OPJs are discouraged merely by the heaviness of the process. Without counting costs of the displacement and the restoration, the obtaining of the duplicate costs between 1000 and 5000 francs, either about 10% of a teacher's salary in DRC. Kakule Kanduvula lives in the village of Masyolo in Grouping Madiwe, Sector of Beni Mbau in Territory of Beni. Inaccessible by road way, this village is situated to vicinities 70 km to the west of Beni town, where the center of cards duplicate delivery is situated. To arrive at Beni, Kanduvula must pay out 20 thousand francs for the transportation of a one way ticket, either close to 20% of a teacher's salary. Nevertheless, his is only a simple agriculturist. Small winner, he has only an average of 15 dollars every month, earned from the sale of his agricultural products. Instead of spending this money, he chooses to continue to cultivate his field and to ignore elections, of which he even doubts holding. As him, they are numerous, other voters who are in the same situation and are exposed to the risk of discouragement. Adding to this, security difficulties in numerous zones, one perceives without telescope that the rate of involvement will endure the lack of voter cards by numerous citizens that have been deprived by the circumstantial circumstances: insecurity, ageing, etc. Among the vulnerable layers exposed to this risk there are the Pygmies. In bush and without means they are frankly in omission.
Weak obstruction of voters
Several reasons explain this weak obstruction, a Mbanza institute teacher in city of Bulongo, to the East of the Territory of Blessed thinks. First, elections of 2011 have been blemished by several irregularities and people fear that it is the same script this year, this teacher who wanted to require anonymity explains. Then, centers where people are called to verify their names on the electoral lists are situated far from their homes, but also, to get duplicated cards, it is very hard. It needs to go to more than 80 km to get it and the process lasts until one week, he pursues before wondering: “to lose one week for what interest?” Also, Kahindo Kikura, living in the Township of Kasindi, at the border with Uganda, situated to the East of the Territory of Beni, remains dubitative about the credibility of elections especially as he thinks that authorities put few means to imply the population in the process. There are people that come from several score of kilometers to come to see if their names are taken back on the electoral lists. Yet, since massacres are perpetrated in Territory of Beni, numerous live in out of place. They don't have sufficiently means. It was necessary that the CENI organizes a mobile system as of vaccination countries, Kahindo pleads. However, Pamularire Salamu, the primary school Director of Utaratibu and agent of the voting station implanted in this school in township of Bulongo nuances and encourages citizens to show evidence of patriotism. "If people are discouraged by the bad governance in the country, it is necessary that they know that the only way to punish this bad governance that is elections", Pamularire recalls. Since December 2014, the Electoral, National and Independent Commission, CENI, institution charged of the elections organization in DR Congo, has launched the process of duplicate delivery to voters having lost their cards. It is one of stages of the process of revision and of credibility searching for the electoral file, after the cartography processes. The concern around the good held of the next electoral voting is therefore there justified by the numerous situations that the CENI should take in account before the worse doesn't observe himself, the Groupe d’Associations de Defense des Droits de l’Homme et de la Paix, GADHOP wishs. The “Foyer de Développement pour l'Autopromotion des Pygmées et Indigènes Défavorisés, FDAPID one of organizations charged of the human right defenses, based in the North Kivu, to the East of the DR Congo joins itself also the concern of GADHOP and initiated this note of advocacy.
Deogratias KAKULE SIKU
GADHOP, Communication, Human Rights and Good Governance Organizer
