It is another time for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to actively participate in governance following the upholding of President Felix Tshisekedi’s victory at the polls.
Development Diaries reports that Tshisekedi is expected to be sworn in for another term before the end of January 2024.
The DRC faces numerous developmental challenges that have hindered its progress and impeded the well-being of its population. The Central African nation continues to have high rates of poverty, with a sizable fraction of the population living below the poverty line.
Estimates from the World Bank place the DRC among the world’s five poorest nations, with 62 percent of its population expected to survive on less than U.S.$2.15 a day in 2022.
The figures also reveal that about one out of six people living in extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa lives in the DRC.
Tshisekedi, while campaigning for a second term in office, said he was ‘committed to creating more jobs for the Congolese in general and youth in particular’. He also said he had set a goal of 6.4 million new jobs by 2028.
The president also promised to root out corruption and authoritarian rule, rebuild the economy, tackle inequalities and deal with the DRC’s prolonged security crisis.
The people of the DRC must begin to demand the fulfillment of the president’s campaign promises, as this will ensure that he remains responsive to their needs.
To achieve transparency and accountability, the president and the government of the DRC must be honest about their decisions and actions when people demand that campaign promises be fulfilled. This is how to earn public trust and get citizens in large numbers to actively participate in the drive towards sustainable development.
Development Diaries calls on President Tshisekedi to ensure that citizens’ right to freedom of expression is respected, just as we urge the government to encourage public participation in governance to stimulate effective policy formulation and service delivery.
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