Belgium condemns violence during DR Congo's electoral campaigns

Belgium says it condemns the violence incidences that have been reported during the electoral campaigns in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), which is the European country's former colony. The condemnation was contained in a statement published on Wednesday by the Belgian Embassy in Kinshasa. In the statement, Belgian Foreign Minister Steven Vanackere and Minister for Development Cooperation Olivier Chastel said, "The Nov. 28 presidential and legislative elections will be crucial for the consolidation of democracy" in DR Congo. Vanackere had told the Belgian parliament that the most important thing for Belgium was that "all candidates participate peacefully in the electoral process and they all accept the verdict of voters," the statement said. The Belgian ministers termed the idea of a candidate declaring himself as the president and calling for violence as unacceptable, warning that this threatens the fundamental principles of democracy. "Belgium has always pointed out that all parties, including those in the opposition, should be able to freely participate in the electoral process, but they should be able to demonstrate responsibility," the ministers said in their statement. Vanackere and Chastel asked all political actors to demonstrate responsibility by doing their campaigns in a peaceful manner and agreeing to respect the verdict of voters.