$21,000 a month at the National Assembly: A passion for 20,000 legislative candidates

✍️ By Emery Tayivisa

While the ultimatum extended by 7 days by the Electoral Center (CENI) for the submission of candidacies for the National Deputy has expired, Denis KADIMA, president of this democracy support institution, talks about the bar of 20,000 applications already received across the Republic, excluding rutshuru, masisi and kwamouth.

During the inter-Congolese dialogue broadcast on the evening of Tuesday, July 25 on radio Okapi, the number one of the CENI welcomed what he calls "record broken" by his institution by comparing it with the figure of 15,000 files received in 2018.

The National Deputation, a right, a profession for the Congolese or an opportunity not to be missed?

Out of five hundred deputies needed by the lower house of parliament, twenty thousand candidates present themselves.

So what will happen next for the 19,500 candidates after the vote?

That's a sticky question.

This proves that unemployment is at its height in the DRC.

The vast majority of these potential candidates are only aiming for that $21,000 salary to bulge their pockets. They are opportunists.”,analyzes an anonymous civil society actor in Goma in North Kivu.

“This time they will only have their eyes to cry on this year. We are at war first, they did nothing for us and then they will come back to ask us for the votes. Besides, I wouldn't vote for anyone", said Justin mbusa a citizen of Goma with a firm tone.

Remember that so far no one knows the fate of the populations of Rutshuru, Masisi and Kwamouth who have not yet been enrolled as a result of growing insecurity.

This question has caused ink and saliva to flow in the mouths of several political operators in the opposition, civil society and the primary sovereign in North Kivu.

Some even go to the level of boycotting the upcoming elections which they previously deem to be fraudulent and chaotic.

Others want the war in the East to end before any elections are held in the country and still others do not want any slippage, and are preparing to go head to head with the elections, despite the M23 war.