Congolese vote in landmark polls







There has been a steady stream of voters to polling stationsVoters in the Democratic Republic of Congo are voting on Sunday in national elections - the first multi-party vote in 40 years.
The poll is aimed at ending a long civil war, with 32 candidates, including incumbent Joseph Kabila, contesting the presidency.
The capital, where several people died this week, was calm as voting began.
More than 25m people are entitled to vote, protected by the biggest UN peacekeeping operation in the world.
Over 9,000 candidates are running for parliament.
'Historic moment'
Voting was scheduled to start at 0600 local time (0500 GMT in the west of the country and 0400 in the east), though correspondents say polling stations opened up to an hour late in some places.







Voters share their views on polling day.

In picturesPolls are due to close at 1700, and results are not expected for several weeks.
Many people have walked miles to get to the polling stations, and some have queued overnight, waiting for them to open.
The BBC News website's correspondent in Kinshasa, Joseph Winter, said people began arriving while it was still dark and about 100 people were at the station by the time it opened.
"We are hungry - we want a leader who knows our suffering," voter Christine Tumba told our correspondent as she came out of Notre Dame Cathedral to go to the polling station next door.
"People are dying every day but where is the government?" she said.
Donatien Kalinga said his heart was "full of joy" at the prospect of voting for the first time.
"Under (former dictator) Mobutu, there were not real elections, so I did not bother," he said.
"I hope the Congolese people will now benefit from the riches that the good Lord blessed us with - diamonds, gold, copper."
Police are driving around the streets of the capital and UN peacekeepers are stationed at strategic points.






DR CONGO POLLS


32 presidential candidates
9,709 parliamentary candidates
25.6m voters
50,000 polling stations
260,000 electoral staff



Reporters' log
DR Congo: Quick guide Overnight there were reports of a polling station being burnt down in the Kasai region, the political stronghold of opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, whose UDPS party is boycotting the vote.
In Bunia, in the north-east of the country, one of the main polling stations is crowded with people waiting to vote.
BBC correspondent Karen Allen says UN peacekeepers in armoured vehicles and trucks are stationed outside polling stations in riot gear in case violence breaks out.
Security purposes
Diplomats have told the BBC that a large shipment of heavy weapons apparently ordered by the government had been sent to the country.
The diplomats said that Russian-made T-72 tanks were delivered to the port of Matadi, and were transported by night towards the capital, Kinshasa.

The mission of the United Nations officials in Congo (Monuc) had apparently been advised by the authorities of a delivery of heavy weapons for security purposes.
In the east of the country, people are already flocking to polling stations from miles around.
In the central town of Mbuji-Mayi, anti-election protestors have burned a lorry carrying voting equipment.
On Friday, a soldier loyal to presidential candidate Azarias Ruberwa was killed and two others wounded in a clash with security forces protecting the incumbent, Joseph Kabila, as the two groups met on the way to their respective rallies.






HAVE YOUR SAY

I am worried and frightened. There is no control.

Christophe Lusendi, Kinshasa



Read voters' views and send your comments
The killing echoed an incident on Thursday, when two policemen were killed when troops loyal to candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba opened fire during a pro-Bemba rally.
Correspondents say the incidents highlight the problem of former rebel leaders-turned-presidential candidates, who are still able to muster their own troops.
Conflict
The most serious concerns about the polling process have been in the east, which saw the worst of the conflict in the 1997-2002 civil war and where militia groups remained active until recently.
At least four people were killed and 13 others injured last week during electoral campaigning in North Kivu province, international watchdog group Human Rights Watch reports.






The polls are being seen as a test of post-conflict democracy
"The violence and intimidation raise questions about how free and fair the elections will be in hotly contested areas of Congo," said Alison Des Forges, senior advisor to HRW's Africa division.
"The police and UN peacekeepers must keep order or people will be afraid to vote."
It was only on Wednesday this week that the three main militia groups in the troubled eastern province of Ituri agreed to lay down arms.
The presidential candidates include the four vice-presidents who took office in 2003 in terms of a transitional power-sharing deal.
Three of the four vice-presidents are the leaders of former armed factions.


And other sources are:

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?s...1553410C904064

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?s...4073962875A162

I know Africans are obsessed with the word democracy, elections etc...but i cannot help but feel MORE anger at this show of stupidity thats going in Congo at the moment. This fiasco of a so called FREE LECTION with over 30 Candidates(most of whom i PERSONALLY know are JERKS, MURDERERS and THEIVES) is making a mockery of justice and African progression.

They are all a bunch of private army men being financed by the same so called UN and The West thats suppose to be making sure the poo poo election goes smoothly(translation: goes to our plans to continue causing more havoc, stealing allwe can getour hands on)

Last week at my Uncle's house one of Mobutu's old croonies was there hand in cheek apologising for all their bad deeds....only after much gruelling from me and my cousin did he let off by mistake that he is actually FINANCING one of the presidential candidate....:X:XThis man is well know for having stolen MILLIONS and everyone knows that if his crony wins, he is back on a plane to Congo to steal MORE millions.....yet they have the audacity to call this the FIST DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS:Xblkangry

Perhaps they should call this: How to cause a civil war and mayhem in Africa's richest country....then put a ****ing idiot of anelection and elect a few croonies to continue the theiving of resources under the banner of DEMOCRACY!

Now you see why i hate Africans' love of Western political terminology.

And there was me thinking this was a historic moment.......What type of system(not western)do you thinkcan bring all these different tribes together?

Mez,

At first I got annoyed with you thinking to myself "well what else does she want then, WAR?" and then I saw the long view.

You're vex because you can see the puppet winning and making the rape of minerals easier. I can see the long term thing too... puppets eventually get pulled down in coups and then everybody starts fighting over the scraps putting the country right back to square one again. So it's like a cycle and none of this is new. In that respect I agree with ya. Has to be another way.

looks like the people are held hostage again..



Is it true that Kabila knew before hand about his father's assassination?

MeZ: completely agree with your view however I think you're being a bit harsh on the people... you would know better than I that...being a political activist in the Uk is cpmpletely different to beinf an Activist in the Congo..

It could be that people geniuely oppose this nonsense, but lets face it they won't own the means of production or for that matter the means of defending their position through armed struggle without external assistance and we all know where that leads don't we?

So it appears to me to be a catch 22, people fall into the trap of DEMOCARACY only to be Azz raped again via vote rigging and Voter bribery and intimidation and we're off gain on this merry go round...

and if by chance the people do wise up and vote in a honest person, how long do you imagine they would survive before a mysterious accident befell them?

Well I thought most of the crap about Congo and other African people love for voting was just the usual western propaganda of promoting democracy, that "Africa must have it if it's to succeed", and that most Africans were just as cynical about democracy/voting as Mez is.

I know Mez suggested some kind of Hugo Chávez Revolution something Africa has never done.

I don't trust Chavez. Theres something about him.

Agree with Mez otherwise its all BS...

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exer...06264B6124.htm

No outright winner declared. Congo heads for a run off.