Political instability has caused great suffering in the Democratic Republic of Congo for generations. On July 30, hope in the country’s future grew with peaceful national elections.

The elections are a milestone after a dark history of violence and corruption. Following brutal Belgian colonial rule, president Patrice Lumumba was quickly assassinated in 1961. Then 32 years of corrupt dictatorship supported by western powers under Mobutu Sese Seko plunged the nation into chaos. Pillaging and anarchy destroyed the economy in Mobutu’s final years in the 1990s.

In 1997, Mobutu was overthrown by Laurent Kabila with the help of Rwanda and Uganda. The heart of Africa fell into five years of horrific civil war, joined by other African nations. The world paid little attention as an estimated four million people died. In 2001, Kabila was assassinated and his son, Joseph Kabila, was installed as president at the age of 30.

Bright prospects

In the last five years, a compromise government was formed when former rebel leaders became vice-presidents, but maintained private militias. Now the country awaits the result of the first peaceful national election in memory.

Large numbers of Congolese Christians decided the prospect of free elections was their cue to become more directly involved in politics.

Pascal Kulungu, a Mennonite Brethren leader living in the capital Kinshasa, was the first person asked by the Church of Christ in Congo to consider running for office in order to bring Christians into government. Kulungu, director of the Kinshasa-based Centre for Leadership Development, Peace-building and Good Governance, accepted the challenge stating he wished to bring a culture of peace to government.

Kinshasa is divided into four electoral districts. Kulungu, running in Kinshasa 1, was candidate number 615 out of 885 running for 14 seats. The poster-size ballot was six pages long.

Kulungu knew the task was tough. “Only the wealthy can afford to hold rallies,” he says. “During Mobutu’s time people became used to being bribed in order to attend political events. This is now a part of our culture and if someone holds a rally and does not give gifts there can be trouble.”

However, he believed meetings could be held safely in churches, as congregants do not expect gifts.

Kulungu visited many churches from various denominations to teach the basics of how to vote and to ask them to vote wisely and prayerfully. He told crowds they could vote for him if they wish. If they chose not to, he asked that they remember to vote for a Christian, a good and honest person who wants peace and will not line his or her own pockets.

Kulungu and other church leaders warned people to not be conned into voting for someone who would give a gift today but then only take for themselves once elected.

Tension grew in the days leading up to the election. On Thursday, July 27, Jean Pierre Bemba, Kabila’s toughest opponent, appeared at a massive rally. Ugly emotions spilled over and police clashed with Bemba’s militia, leaving some dead. Fires were set at a pro-Kabila church and a famous musician’s studio. In return, an arms cache in Bemba’s downtown compound was set alight. Ordinary citizens held their breath, expecting the chaos to morph into random looting.

It did not. In the balance of past nightmare and future hope, the Congolese chose peace.

On Saturday afternoon, the day before the election, many churches held services in order to free up the election day. At the tiny Manenga church, deep inside one of Kinshasa’s myriad slums where the city becomes a village with narrow paths into ravines filled with simple unserviced homes, Fumunguya Muenekuangu asked his congregation to remember to vote and to vote for Christians they can trust.

He told them God will bless the Congo if they elect a leader with a pure heart. He closed the service saying, “Go home and pray. Pray again as you go to bed. Pray again when you get up. Then go vote.”

Ordinary Congolese did go vote, and in huge and orderly numbers.

Regardless of what happens in the near future, July 30 was a miracle of civility, gentleness and determination. Irregularities were reported here and there but only by politicians looking to gain a foothold in the election aftermath. The Democratic Republic of Congo could plunge into chaos again depending on how various leaders react to the eventual results. There remains a lot of room for tampering, bullying and honest mistakes before results are declared August 20. But ordinary Congolese, both voters and electoral workers, did themselves proud.

International observer groups, including two Canadian Mennonite based ones from Winnipeg and Waterloo, were overwhelmingly impressed by what they saw as people waited in line and workers in polling stations did their best. Counting ballots went without glitches, appearing fair and transparent to almost all observers.

Ballots and tally sheets were being kept at heavily guarded compilation centres. Results will take weeks due to the size of the country and its almost total lack of roads. Ballots, in some case, were delivered by dugout canoe.

Thirty-three candidates were in the running for president. A second round for president, if no one candidate wins more than 50 per cent the first time, will take place October 29. Local elections will also take place on that date. More Christians are slated to be candidates, praying to make a difference for peace.

Ray Dirks is a Winnipeg-based artist and curator of the Mennonite Heritage Gallery and lived in Congo in the mid-1980s. He returned this summer as an elections observer.