 |
| Photo taken on Aug. 1
shows representatives of eight international observation missions during a
joint declaration signing meeting in Kinshasa, capital of DRC, Aug. 1,
2006. The eight international observation missions, including the African
Union and the European Union, were impressed by the high turnout in the
"successful" elections of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) held in a
"peaceful and dignified" manner. (Xinhua
Photo) |
KINSHASA,
Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- International observation missions were impressed by the high
turnout in the "successful" elections of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
held in a "peaceful and dignified" manner, according to a joint declaration
signed here on Tuesday.
The international observation missions, on the basis
of preliminary reports, were "impressed by the high level of both male and
female voter turnout and the presence of political party poll-watchers and
domestic observers," said a joint declaration issued here on Tuesday.
It also congratulated "the spirit and determination
of the Congolese people to hold a successful election in a peaceful and
dignified manner."
To ensure the fairness and transparency of the
country's first democratic presidential and legislative elections in more than
four decades since independence, more than 1,700 international observers were
dispatched to the DRC to monitor the election process, including the polls held
on Sunday.
The missions also noted in the declaration "the sense
of commitment of election officials to their work and of the Independent
Election Commission, which defied considerable obstacles in the conduct of its
mission."
They urged candidates in the elections to "respect
the choice of Congolese voters and to use all means at their disposal to seek
recourse in the case of contested results," in order to reinforce their
commitment to the peace process.
The signatory missions of the joint declaration include those from the African Union, the European Union, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Francophonie, Cater Center, Southern Africa Development Community Parliamentary forum, the Electoral Commissions Forum of Southern Africa Development Community Countries, and the EISA. Enditem
