Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland today said the execution of Congolese elections were seriously flawed and lacked trasparency.
In her remarks on the provisional results of the presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ms. Nuland said the United States continues to follow closely the ongoing electoral process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
“We have taken note of recent statements issued by international and local observation missions that cite serious irregularities in the electoral process.” -Ms. Nuland
She noted that based on the observations of the teams fielded by our Embassy in Kinshasa, the views shared with them by other diplomatic missions, and organizations such as The Carter Center, the United States believes technical execution of the elections did not measure up to the democratic gains we have seen in recent African elections.
“It is not clear, however, whether the irregularities were sufficient to change the outcome of the election.” -Ms. Nuland
She encouraged the relevant Congolese authorities to closely review these cited irregularities and proceed with maximum openness and transparency.
She stressed that the United States continues to advocate that all Congolese political leaders and their supporters act responsibly, renounce violence, and resolve any disagreements through peaceful constructive dialogue and existing legal remedies.
“We believe that a rapid technical review of the electoral process by the Congolese authorities may determine ways to provide more credible results, shed light on whether irregularities were caused by lack of organization or fraud, and provide guidance for future elections.” -Ms. Nuland
She stressed the United States stands ready to provide technical assistance for such a review.