As many as 8,000 of the 10,368 voting machines destined for the city of Kinshasa were consumed in a fire on Thursday, 13 December 2018, night in the main warehouse of the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI).
CENI president Corneille Nangaa announced that, in addition to the voting machines, booths, office kits, 800 motorcycles, 15 vehicles and nearly 9,500 external batteries also went up in smoke in the fire that deprives 19 of Kinshasa’s 24 communes (districts) of their electoral material.
He added that measures are being taken to guarantee continuation of the electoral process according to the initial timetable.
Nangaa also said electoral materials for the other 25 provinces out of 26 in DR Congo are already deployed in various territories and cities at 97 percent, with the remaining 3 percent in the process of being deployed.
DRC’s deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Interior and Security ministry, Henri Mova, has visited the scene of the fire incident, which “could have been of criminal origin since it started in two places”.
He confirmed on behalf of the Congolese government that the general elections will proceed on 23 December 2018.
– APA