Will the DRC’s ‘sacred union’ deliver electoral reform?

The report examines the political shift in the DRC following President Felix Tshisekedi's creation of the 'sacred union' coalition, which granted him a parliamentary majority. While this shift provides an opportunity for electoral reform and improved security in the east, the document highlights significant tensions over the content of these reforms, the independence of the electoral commission (CENI), and whether a proposed population census is a genuine development need or a strategy to delay the 2023 elections.

• President Felix Tshisekedi has shifted the balance of power in his favour by creating the 'sacred union' (union sacrée) coalition, securing a new majority in Parliament and winning key allies such as Jean-Pierre Bemba and Moïse Katumbi.
• There is a critical need for electoral reform to restore credibility to the process, as DRC elections since 2006 have been marred by violence, controversy, and a lack of confidence in the system.
• Proposed reforms to the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) aim to increase neutrality and accountability, including a recommendation to exclude individuals affiliated with a political party in the previous five years.
• A significant point of contention is the population census; while some view it as essential for development, others fear it is a "diversion strategy" intended to postpone the 2023 elections.
• Security in the eastern DRC remains volatile despite military operations and the decree of a 'state of siege' in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, with civilian deaths continuing to rise.
• The report identifies the most likely future scenario as a 'half-baked reform' tailored to the president's ambitions with only minor concessions to the opposition.

APA

Zounmenou, D. (2021). Will the DRC’s ‘sacred union’ deliver electoral reform? Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/car-20.pdf

Chicago

Zounmenou, David. Will the DRC’s ‘sacred union’ deliver electoral reform? Institute for Security Studies, 2021. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/car-20.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zounmenou |first1=David |title=Will the DRC’s ‘sacred union’ deliver electoral reform? |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=August 2021 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/car-20.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zounmenou2021will, author = {Zounmenou, David}, title = {{Will the DRC’s ‘sacred union’ deliver electoral reform?}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2021}, month = aug, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/car-20.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }