The second largest country in Africa chooses

Congo has a choice - but a little hope: Everything indicates that
Joseph Kabila remains president. What does this mean for the country?

Few countries have wasted their economic potential such as the Congo -
the second largest in area in Algeria African country with 70 million
inhabitants. Could although in its bottom enormous amounts of copper,
cobalt, gold and diamonds lie dormant, and the country illuminate with
its hydroelectric plant Inga on the lower reaches of the Congo river,
large parts of the continent, every year tens of thousands of his
people die from preventable diseases, abject poverty and political
violence. Also during yesterday's parliamentary and presidential
election there were riots. Including 15 polling stations were set on
fire, eleven people died.

As early as the end of the campaign over the weekend was bloody.
Clashes between supporters of the ruling for ten years, President
Joseph Kabila (40) and opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi (78) in
the capital, Kinshasa, several people were killed. Tshisekedi was
generally noticed by an aggressive campaign style: he had only two
weeks ago from his hospital bed in South Africa prematurely proclaimed
president and urged his followers to storm the liberation of the
comrades in prison in Kinshasa. He also has his supporters already
called for protests, if he should lose.

However, the government for the escalation is anything but innocent.
Have long complained of international observers and the opposition
over the extremely sloppy preparations for the elections, which would
make even a functioning state with enormous logistical hurdles. They
should more than 60 000 polling stations have been supplied in the
country until Friday evening with ballot papers - in a country as big
as Western Europe. The late delivery of election material and the
discovery was already stuffed ballot boxes with ballot papers after
giving eyewitness also triggered the riots yesterday.

A further complication is that the policy provides a rare opportunity
to acquire wealth. No wonder that 20 000 candidates apply for the 500
seats in parliament. Kabila has to do with ten other candidates. The
incumbent is therefore already a favorite because he recently ordered
by a constitutional amendment needs a simple majority to win.
Moreover, only he had a well-functioning electoral machinery.

There are only the second democratic elections since independence from
Belgium 1960th Until 1997, the Congo was more than 30 years of
dictator Mobutu Sese Seko has ruled. Congo's people have never
benefited from the riches of their state, especially since the
President Laurent Kabila and now his son Joseph, who took over after
the assassination of his father in 2001, unabashedly similarly
exploited the country. State structures are widely studied in vain.
There are virtually no democratic institutions and little
infrastructure. Even still, less than three percent of the area of
the Congo to be used for agriculture.

However, no one expects greater progress Kabila. Thus the army of the
country is still hard to control. Unlike in Mozambique where the new
government once whistled back the soldiers after the peace with the
rebels in the barracks and integrated into civilian life, the Congo
has missed this. Accordingly, the situation remains confused in many
parts of the country, particularly in the east. Kabila's widely
expected re-election might be welcomed internationally only because
they will probably provide a modicum of stability.

The National Electoral Commission will on 6 December a preliminary
result announced. Then the candidates can raise an objection. The
final result is on 17 December have been announced.