An early-morning fire in Kinshasa destroyed nearly 80 percent of the capital city’s voting machines just 10 days before the presidential election, officials said on Thursday, adding that the blaze appeared to be criminal, but vowing that it would not disrupt the vote.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DR Congo) first use of voting machines planned for Dec. 23, a rarity in Africa, has caused concerns among the opposition, diplomats and experts about possible manipulation in favor of Congolese President Joseph Kabila’s preferred successor.
Kabila is stepping aside after taking power in 2001.
Photo: AFP
Nearly 8,000 of the capital’s 10,368 voting machines were ruined, said Corneille Nangaa Yobeluo, president of the nation’s Independent National Electoral Commission.
Despite the severity of the damage, the commission would hold the elections as scheduled on Dec. 23, he said.
Firefighters from the UN peacekeeping mission helped put out the blaze, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.
“We are encouraging all parties to assist in the holding of free and fair elections,” Haq said. “Obviously, any sort of incidents like this are a cause for concern in that respect.”
Kabila’s chief adviser Barnabe Kikaya said the fire was criminal and added that polling booths were also burned.
“The enemies of democracy have stepped it up a gear,” Kikaya said.
Congolese Minister of the Interior and Security Henri Mova said the voting machines would be replaced “very quickly.”
“We cannot make quick conclusions, but the criminal hypothesis is not to be dismissed,” Mova, said, adding that the fire had two starting points, suggesting a simultaneous beginning.
Major questions remain about how the DR Congo would be able to successfully use the voting machines in the infrastructure-starved country of 40 million voters, many without computer experience. More than 100,000 of the machines have been rolled out so far.
Campaigning in the final days before the vote turned violent this week. Security forces on Wednesday opened fire on supporters of opposition candidate Martin Fayulu in Kalemie, killing a young woman, Human Rights Watch deputy Africa director Ida Sawyer said.
That followed similar reported violence in the southern city of Lubumbashi.
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