Congo election commission sets Dec. 23, 2018 date for vote
KINSHASA, Congo — Congo’s top election official announced Sunday that a long-awaited presidential vote would not be held until late December 2018, months later than key opposition leaders have been seeking.
The tensions over President Joseph Kabila’s continued tenure have provoked deadly street demonstrations in cities around the country since December 2016, when his official mandate ended.
Kabila can remain in power until the next election is held, although he is barred by the Constitution from seeking another term in office.
Critics have long accused Kabila of postponing the vote to maintain his grip on power in the mineral-rich country. Election officials, though, have cited widespread violence in central Congo as contributing to the delay.