DRC cities vote in polls postponed by conflict, Ebola

Legislative and municipal elections also took place in the western region of Yumbi, about 300 km north of the capital Kinshasa, three months after the mbadacre that killed at least 535 civilians.

All three are strongholds of opposition in the vast country of Central Africa, with a combined electorate of about one million.

The vote was proceeding smoothly in the districts of Mavivi and Ngadi in Beni, which were the scene of numerous unrest involving armed militias, according to an AFP correspondent in the field.

The lower house of parliament of the DRC, which has 500 deputies, is at stake. 15 seats are at stake.

But they are not allowed to vote in the presidential election, three months after the victory of former opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi, the first peaceful transfer of power from the country since the beginning of the presidential election. independence of Belgium in 1960.

The vote will also have no impact on the balance of power in Parliament, where the party of former President Joseph Kabila won the majority of seats.

Tshisekedi's party is working to form a coalition government with Kabila's.

The formation of the new government is being closely monitored for signs that Kabila will continue to dominate the country's politics, if many of the highest cabinet members are occupied by his supporters.

In Beni, Elector Patrick Kasunga said "we are not quite happy" in the three cities that voted Sunday because they "all wanted to vote for the president but the (electoral commission) stole this choice".

Sunday's poll follows a rise in Ebola cases in recent days after a lull of several weeks. The epidemic that erupted in August has so far resulted in more than 650 deaths.