Nikki Haley

The United States on Tuesday warned the Democratic Republic of Congo against using an electronic voting system for its delayed presidential election scheduled to hold in  December this year.

According to the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley while speaking during an informal UN Security Council meeting on the Congolese electoral process, using an unfamiliar technology for the first time during a critical election has the potential to undermine the credibility of the polls.

Haley said: “These elections must be held by paper ballots so there is no question by the Congolese people about the results. The US has no appetite to support an electronic voting system.”

Several other countries on the 15-member security council also raised concerns about the possible use of electronic voting in the elections which is meant to replace President Joseph Kabila who has been in power since his father was shot dead in 2001.

Corneille Nangaa, the President of the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission had told the informal UN Security Council that using electronic voting would reduce the weight of the equipment that would be deployed from 16,000 tonnes to less than 8,000 tonnes.