- Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Multi-party elections in the DR Congo were held in July 2006, the first multi-party elections in the country since 1960.
The 1960 elections, held in the wake of
independence , sawPatrice Lumumba become prime minister andJoseph Kasavubu president. In 1965Mobutu Sese Seko seized power and declared himself president. He ruled until 1997 when Laurent Kabila seized power after theFirst Congo War . When Laurent Kabila was killed in 2001, his sonJoseph Kabila took over the presidency while the country was going through theSecond Congo War (1998-2003). The Second Congo War was officially declared over in 2003. The period that followed was relatively peaceful, with theUnited Nations ' largest peacekeeping force maintaining the peace. However, theIturi Conflict marred the peace, with periods of violence in the northeasternIturi Province .In December 2005 a referendum on a new constitution was held. It was approved, paving way for the first multiparty elections in 46 years, which were held in July 2006.
2006 General Election
A general election was held on Sunday
30 July 2006 , which were the first free multi-party elections in 46 years. Voters went to the polls to elect a new President, federal parliament and provincial parliaments.A run-off election was held on
29 October to choose the president as no candidate had obtained more than 50% of the vote. Joseph Kabila was elected in the second round with 58% of the vote.The international community donated $460 million to fund the elections and deployed the world's largest UN peacekeeping operation to help the stability of the election.
2007 Senate election
Past elections and referendums
Local elections
ee also
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Electoral calendar
*Electoral system External links
* [http://www.electionworld.org/congo-kinshasa.htm Electionworld]
* [http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/c/congodemrep/ Adam Carr's Election Archive]
* [http://africanelections.tripod.com/cd.html African Elections Database]
* [http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?topic_id=1417&fuseaction=topics.item&news_id=195889 Looking at the Congo's Historic Moment] An index of resources from the Woodrow Wilson Center on the DRC's democratic transition; Last update August 1, 2006References
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