Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Press release 278/2006
4 August, 2006

The European Union congratulates the Congolese people for fulfilling its duty with serenity by turning out to vote on 30 July 2006 in very large numbers in order to choose its future leaders. These elections mark a major step forwards for the Democratic Republic of the Congo towards democracy and the establishment of the rule of law.

The European Union welcomes the fact that the parliamentary and presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the first free and multi-party elections for over forty years, went smoothly.  The few incidents recorded did not, fortunately, have a significant impact on the overall conduct of the ballots.

The European Union congratulates the security forces and in particular the Congolese National Police, which were able to carry out their tasks to make the elections secure and calls on them to continue their work courageously until the outcome of the electoral process.

The European Union thanks the IEC, MONUC and South Africa, which have contributed to the success of this election day by overcoming the immense logistical challenges.

The European Union takes note of the preliminary conclusions of the European Union electoral observation mission on the smooth conduct of these elections.  The European Union calls on all candidates and political parties to resolve any electoral disputes through peaceful negotiation and in accordance with established legal procedures.

The European Union encourages the national and international electoral observation missions, as well as the political party witnesses to continue to play their part to ensure, through rigorous independent assessment, that the results of these elections are reliable.

The European Union reaffirms its determination to support the Democratic Republic of the Congo in its progress towards a stable and democratic future.

The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this declaration.

 ^* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.