Congo opposition protesters rampaged down the main highway into Kinshasa today demanding postponement of the historic multi-party elections in 40 years in the country scheduled for Sunday. The several hundred demonstrators who want the elections to be delayed because of tensions and alleged flaws clashed with riot police who beat them with batons while market women scattered.



The clashes followed complaints from the country’s powerful Roman Catholic Church and several election candidates that serious irregularities marred the organization of presidential and parliamentary elections in the vast, former Belgian colony.



The elections are being supervised and protected by the largest United Nations peacekeeping force at 17,000 at a cost of more than $4000 million.



Shouting “Freedom, Freedom”, protesters from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s UDPS opposition party threw stones and Molotov cocktails at police blocking the main highway into the city from Kinshasa’s international airport, witnesses said.



It can only be hoped that the protests and alleged irregularities are sorted out to the satisfaction of all concerned so that the citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo witness a free and fair multi-party elections in 40 years. With a massive United Nat5ions peacekeeping force stationed in the country, it should not be a too difficult task to accomplish.



Via: Reuters