Election campaign kicks off in DR Congo

KINSHASA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The campaign for the presidential, legislative and local elections, scheduled for Dec. 20, 2023, officially began Sunday in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Twenty-six candidates for the presidential elections have been registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), including President Felix Tshisekedi who is competing for his reelection.

In a press release published Saturday night in Kinshasa, CENI President Denis Kadima called on candidates to respect the laws and good electoral practices during this campaign which will last for a month.

"The CENI calls on candidates for responsibility and tolerance during the 30 days of the electoral campaign. This is the time for each candidate to bond with their voters, to prepare and organize the voting and counting operations by their witnesses," he stressed.

President Felix Tshisekedi decided to launch his campaign Sunday in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, where thousands of his supporters gather in the city's martyrs' stadium.

Moise Katumbi, former governor of the Katanga province who is also the head of an opposition coalition and main opponent of Tshisekedi, chose the city of Kisangani, located in the northeast of the country, to start his campaign on the same day.