L
LequteMan
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The Congo government has announced that it may not be holding its long awaited election in 2017 because it is "too expensive."
“It will be difficult to think that we can mobilize $1.8 billion this year," Pierre Kangudia Mbayi, minister of state in charge of budget, said on Wednesday. "At this stage, I prefer to keep a language of sincerity.”
The $1.8 billion cost was estimated by Congo's Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) last year and it is a huge amount of money — almost two-thirds the estimated cost of America's 2016 presidential vote, despite a vast difference in economic size between the countries.
However, election officials say funds are needed to register more than 30 million voters in a vast country with poor transport links that has not held regular elections. CENI had already announced late last year that it doubted it would be able to register all voters before 2018.
“It will be difficult to think that we can mobilize $1.8 billion this year," Pierre Kangudia Mbayi, minister of state in charge of budget, said on Wednesday. "At this stage, I prefer to keep a language of sincerity.”
The $1.8 billion cost was estimated by Congo's Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) last year and it is a huge amount of money — almost two-thirds the estimated cost of America's 2016 presidential vote, despite a vast difference in economic size between the countries.
However, election officials say funds are needed to register more than 30 million voters in a vast country with poor transport links that has not held regular elections. CENI had already announced late last year that it doubted it would be able to register all voters before 2018.
