DR Congo's opposition to stage march over delayed elections

The postponed elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have sparked protests from opposition parties, which threatened a peaceful march in the capital on Monday.

The opposition UDPS group headed by Etienne Tshisekedi and FONUS party led by Joseph Olenghankoy unveiled the protest plan Saturday, calling for talks on the election schedule.

The presidential and legislative elections in the DRC were postponed from June 18 to July 30, the electoral commission announced in April, citing the need for more time to compile a definitive list of candidates.

The commission said 9,630 candidates are eligible to run for the 500 seats in the legislature, while 33 candidates, including four women, are vying for the presidency of the third largest African country.

The opposition parties, however, disagree with the delay, saying the newly set election date has extended the transitional government's three-year mandate, which expires on June 30.

UDPS and FONUS want all politicians in the DRC to hold consultations on the changed date of election by the end of June, while President Joseph Kabila insisted last week that the current date be respected.

The elections will be the first in 45 years in the turbulent central African nation since its independence from Belgian colonial rule in 1960.

Voting has been delayed twice due to poor planning and legislative problems since the initial date set for last June.

The elections are organized by the transitional government under Kabila, which was established in 2003 after peace agreements were reached to end the DRC's 1998-2002 war. The conflict involved eight African nations and left nearly 4 million people dead.

The United Nations has deployed 17,000 peacekeepers to help restore peace in the country.

Source: Xinhua