7 Feb 2012

UN / DRC

UN Special Envoy for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Roger Meece said today that while the November presidential and legislative elections were marked by irregularities, it has not been determined that “these problems necessarily would have changed the reported presidential results” and called for an “open review” of the process. UNTV

Posted at: February 7, 2012 2:33 pm

Duration: 02:16

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / DRC 
SOURCE: UNTV
TRT: 2.16
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 7 FEBRUARY 2012, NEW YORK CITY/ FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1.Wide shot, exterior UN building

7 FEBRUARY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

2.Wide shot, Security Council 
3.Med shot, delegates
4.SOUNDBITE (English) Roger Meece, Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO):     
"While none of the observer missions have determined that these problems necessarily would have changed the reported presidential results, we and others have expressed our strong concerns about the irregularities reported by the various observer missions and believe a thorough and open review of the preparations and conduct of the November elections are important. This should provide as accurate as possible an overview of the process, draw relevant lessons and propose recommendations, and ensure that improvements are put in place so that future elections achieve the highest level of integrity possible."
5.Med shot, delegates
6.SOUNDBITE (English) Roger Meece, Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO):     
"Political attention in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is now shifting to the new National Assembly, consolidation of coalitions and formation and ratification of a new government. The timing and specific composition of the new structures are of course not yet clear, but preliminary discussions among various individuals and parties have certainly already been initiated. We believe it very important that all newly-elected officials play an active and full role in these discussions and the work of the new institutions, in the interests of their constituents and the country."
7.Med shot, delegates
8.SOUNDBITE (French) Charlotte Malenga Omoy, Minister-counsellor at the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to the United Nations:     
"Beyond the unrest before and after the elections, it would not be an exaggeration to conclude that the country is determined to follow the process of returning to normality and the Congolese people want only one thing and that is peace. Today, when we look back at what really took place and hen we look forward we can, without any exaggeration, say that this second democratic elections represent an end in the DRC of an era during which government change was in no way a representation of democratic norms and where the funding of the electoral process was mainly provided by the international community."
9. Med shot, delegates
10. Wide shot, Security Council 
      
STORYLINE:

The top United Nations (UN) official in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) told the Security Council today (7 Feb) that "while none of the observer missions" have determined that irregularities during last November elections "necessarily would have changed the reported presidential results" there are "strong concerns" about the way the polls were conducted.

Roger Meece, who is Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative in the DRC as well as Head of the Peacekeeping Mission (MONUSCO) said that "a thorough and open review of the preparations and conduct of the November elections are important" as it would provide "as accurate as possible an overview of the process, draw relevant lessons and propose recommendations, and ensure that improvements are put in place so that future elections achieve the highest level of integrity possible."

Millions of Congolese went to the polls on 28 November last year to cast votes in presidential and parliamentary elections. While the presidential results were announced earlier, the country's Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) released the provisional results of the legislative polls regarding 162 of the 169 electoral districts on 26 January and on 2 February.

Meece said that with the announcement of the election results, "political attention in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is now shifting to the new National Assembly, consolidation of coalitions and formation and ratification of a new government."

He stressed the importance that "all newly-elected officials play an active and full role in these discussions and the work of the new institutions, in the interests of their constituents and the country."

The UN peacekeeping mission in DRC (MONUSCO) last week reminded all parties concerned that it is continuing to closely monitor human rights violations and acts of violence committed, notably, in the context of the elections. It called on Congolese authorities to respect human rights obligations, particularly the rights to liberty, to freedom of movement and to freedom of expression.

Congolese Representative Charlotte Malenga Omoy told the Council that "beyond the unrest before and after the elections, it would not be an exaggeration to conclude that the country is determined to follow the process of returning to normality and the Congolese people want only one thing and that is peace."

She added that these elections "represent an end in the DRC of an era during which government change was in no way a representation of democratic norms and where the funding of the electoral process was mainly provided by the international community."

MONUSCO provided technical and logistical support to the organization of the November polls – the second time since independence from Belgium in 1960 that the country has held multi-party elections.