EAC Secretary General notifies EAC Partner States, Development Partners and all other Stakeholders that EAC will not physically be present in DRC to observe her 2023 General Elections as provided for in the Treaty Establishing the East African Community and as it has been the practice since the inception of the EAC.
“This development is due to the fact that although EAC was ready, the request to undertake the exercise has not been granted by the relevant authorities”, says EAC in a statement.
The EAC wishes the Government and the people of DRC peaceful elections and remains committed to discharge our mandate to all Partner States.
The DRC was admitted as a member of the EAC on 29 March 2022, at a virtual Head of State summit chaired by Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, and officially became a member of the East African Community on 11 July 2022 after depositing the instrument of ratification with the EAC Secretary General.
General elections are expected to be held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 20 December 2023. Simultaneous elections will be held for the President, almost all of the members of the National Assembly, almost all of the elected members of the 26 provincial assemblies, and, for the first time under the new constitution, members of a limited number of commune (municipal) councils.
Normal elections will not be held in the territories of Kwamouth, Masisi, and Rutshuru due to armed conflict. (End)