Voting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will go ahead as planned in December regardless of armed conflict curbing registration in the east of the country, Denis Kadima, the country's top election official, told the US media.
According to Kadima, the election commission is poised to register up to 1.5 million potential voters isolated by the uprising in North Kivu province.
As the media revealed, Kadima is managing a $1.1Bln budget and 3,000 full-time employees for the elections, and nearly 500,000 people will work at polling stations.
As announced by the commission on Monday, 24 candidates have announced their intention to run for the presidential election. Among the candidates is incumbent president Felix Tshisekedi, who is seeking a second term in office.
The opposition's declared candidates include Martin Fayulu, who ran unsuccessfully in 2018, and two former prime ministers of Tshisekedi's predecessor Joseph Kabila: Augustin Matata Ponyo and Adolphe Muzito.
In the DR Congo, the president is elected by simple majority vote. The constitution of the Central African nation, sets a limit of two five-year terms for the presidency.
Preparations for the elections are underway amid a deteriorating security situation in the east of the country because of the M23 ("March 23 Movement") rebels' widespread anti-government campaign.