Coups, rebel conquests, assassin’s bullets -- they’ve all ended presidencies in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This weekend, the vast central African nation is banking on a new method: the ballot box.
With three main candidates vying to replace Congo’s long-serving leader, Joseph Kabila, Sunday’s elections could lead to the mineral-rich country’s first transfer of power through voting since independence in 1960. But crackdowns on rallies, last minute delays and strong indications that Kabila will still wield influence if his protege, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, prevails threaten to sully that milestone.
