Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the elections in the DR Congo

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"Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Brussels, 4 August 2006 - The European Union congratulates the Congolese people for fulfilling its duty with serenity by turning out to vote on 30 July 2006 in very large numbers in order to choose its future leaders. These elections mark a major step forwards for the Democratic Republic of the Congo towards democracy and the establishment of the rule of law.

The European Union welcomes the fact that the parliamentary and presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the first free and multi-party elections for over forty years, went smoothly. The few incidents recorded did not, fortunately, have a significant impact on the overall conduct of the ballots.

The European Union congratulates the security forces and in particular the Congolese National Police, which were able to carry out their tasks to make the elections secure and calls on them to continue their work courageously until the outcome of the electoral process. "