The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is poised for elections on 20 December, when votes will be cast for a new president and well as national and provincial legislatures.

In a historic move, this election marks the first time that local representatives will be on the ballot, a significant stride towards enhancing community participation in the whole electoral process.

“This is in my view, a very good step,” Bintou Keita, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the DRC and head of the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO), told UN News, after briefing the Security Council earlier this week.

She described to Jerome Bernard how MONUSCO was supporting the authorities ahead of voting, in three key provinces where the mission is deployed.