“The feeling has been that they’re thrilled they had an election,” says Evangelical Covenant Church missionary Bob Thornbloom. “They’re thrilled that they had the opportunity to vote.” The elections were the first to feature more than one party in 40 years.
The excitement is tempered by thoughts of what might happen following the results. “Now they are scared because they haven’t heard (the results) yet,” says Sabuli Sanguma, wife of Dr. Mossai Sanguma, president of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Congo. “They are afraid of fighting again.”
Millions of people have been killed in Congo due to continual fighting that also has destroyed parts of the country’s infrastructure. Sanguma says people are praying that the losers of the election do not take up arms.
The election was mostly peaceful and held July 30. Counting the ballots is scheduled to be completed by the end of the month.
“People are hoping for a quick decision,” Thornbloom says. “People already are tired of delays.” The election had been delayed several times.
The length of the ballot contributed to the delay in counting ballots and precluded any quick decision. The seven-page ballot listed 33 candidates for president and more than 9,000 potential lawmakers.
There have been reports of voting irregularities, but no one knows the extent of the problem, according to news reports. The front runners for president are the incumbent President Joseph Kabila, who assumed office under a power-sharing agreement, and Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba.
