Kabila’s concession may not presage a fair Congo poll

Subject

Congo's presidential elections.

Significance

As the deadline for candidates to register for December’s presidential elections expired on August 8, the government announced that Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary would be the candidate for the ruling coalition and its allies, ending persistent speculation that President Joseph Kabila would attempt to run again, despite having already served the constitutional maximum of two terms.

Impacts

• Kabila’s decision not to stand may ease constraints on donor funding for the elections.
• Opposition rhetoric advocating a single candidate will intensify, but reaching consensus on who this should be may prove challenging.
• The proposed use of electronic voting machines will be deeply controversial and a focus of likely fraud allegations.