Critical analysis of the Democratic Republic of Congo national tv coverage of the 2011 elections. Case study of Kinshasa city

INTRODUCTION

It is the key of our research chapter, this in this part we will demonstrate the rules, conduct, and the elements that any journalist said professional must observe during the election period. Applicable to all bases for responsible journalism will be the bulk of this third chapter.

I. ELECTIONS

The word election comes from the Latin word, derived from the verb eligere who wants to choose. Commonly, it is said that an election is a choice, a designation of one or several persons through suffrage. The elections are therefore a means by which citizens choose freely the rulers between political trends that are expressed without restriction.

According to MULUMBATI NGASHA, the election is also defined as a mode by which the rulers or power-holders are chosen by the governed.

As Georges BURDEAU, the election is a means through which the elect are invested with a function.

For Pierre DEQUIRINI, elections are the designation of politicians by the vote of the citizens.

William EPENGE sets the election as an important and commonly available to citizens to make known their views and to participate in the development of national policy by designating among them, a small number of representatives who undertake on their behalf and in their place to decide on public affairs.

For ROBERT, the election is also defined as a choice, a designation of one or more persons by a vote. Thus, about the free and democratic elections, we say with Irung TSHITAMBALA that "the election is essence, the Act by which the people chooses its representatives to exercise power in its name.

Therefore, it is a decisive means of expression of the will of the people, of political participation; a peaceful technique by which we become rulers, a process whereby the governed themselves in democratic management today.

It is also an essential element of modern democracy, which is basically representative and which defines itself as a momentum of appropriating the right of the people to designate (by the elections) and to actually exercise this right in its name, for the more and more for all.^13(*)

As for us, the election is a medium that allows people to translate their willingness to participate in the management of the national policy freely designating their leaders or their representatives through the ballot box.

There are several types of elections according to the various levels of administrative districts and according to the different functions that the candidates are called upon to perform, including:

1. Presidential Election: vote to designate the president of the Republic or the head of State. The presidential election is a choice of the supreme authority of the nation passing through the ballot box.

2. Legislative Election: voting for deputies to the National Assembly or the representatives of the people.

3. Municipal Election: vote for Councilors.

Thus, we can enumerate a few guiding principles for a good election: good elections are those that are free, democratic and transparent.

1.1 FREE ELECTION

Election, free means:

· Respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights;

· The right to freedom of expression and opinions;

· The right to freedom of association and of demonstration;

· The right to engage in his political party recognized legally;

· The right to equality and fairness for all.

1.2 DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS

By democratic elections, the people has a Word to say about the decisions that affect the lives of the entire company, therefore govern by institutions and practices of fair rules for all, equal treatment of women compared to men and taking account of vulnerable groups, people living with disabilities, and the challenge of illiteracy , the banishment of any discrimination based on race, tribe or ethnicity, social class, sex, religion and all other characteristics not comply with democratic rules. The only acceptable limit to deprive a citizen of his right to vote remains the law that is impersonal and general.

1.3 TRANSPARENT ELECTIONS

They are characterized by the following elements:

· Transparent mechanisms for consultation, representation and decision-making;

· Respect of the rules of procedure previously established and clearly defined;

· Communication open through consultation frameworks; recruitment of qualified staff and moral probity recognized;

· The acquisition of reliable material (transparent urns for example, indelible ink, reliable data, ballot information, etc.);

· The establishment of the reliable electoral lists, of partisan observers (political party) and independent (Observer, neutral) of the elections;

· The financing of political parties and the regulation of election campaigns;

· The display of the lists of electors;

· The announcement of the provisional results based on the ballot (sealed) box to audits by the Court of appeal or the Supreme Court of Justice, depending on the nature of the vote, in case of dispute.

1.4 OTHER DEFINITIONS

The election is a procedure by which the members of a group (regardless of the main purpose) would be able to appoint their leaders and to make collective choices about the conduct of their common Affairs.

Lulli LIPSON sets the election as being "decisive event whereby the people expresses its will. It is at this time and according to this method that the citizens who are subject to the laws assert themselves the masters of those who make the laws.

Maurice DUVERGER, for its part, sets the election as "the most important and most common means. Available to citizens to make their views and participate in the development of the national policy It is for all citizens, to designate a small number of representatives who undertake on their behalf among them and their place of deciding public affairs»

These two authors, it emerges that the election is the way by which the people expresses its readiness to participate in the life of the nation by choosing representatives whose programs are consistent with its concerns.

The election is one of the features of modern regimes organized with degrees of efficiency and of varying sincerity, throughout the contemporary world. A respecter of Ferdinand Kapanga became very common, considers the concept 'election' as a means by which the people shall appoint representatives who undertake, on its behalf and in its place, deciding public affairs.

In other words, it is a serious act by which electors are called not only to make their views known, but also to participate indirectly in the development of national policy or a policy choice, he says.

In order to avoid falling into controversies without issues and as these definitions complement each other, we are the definition of Ngoma-BINDA that elections are a mode of arbitration of ambitions, of access to power, a mode legitimate insofar as it is peaceful.

On the other hand, the vote is a vote using the signs or bulletins posed in a container (URN) where removed then to count. This electoral operation then includes the filing of ballots in the ballot box, counting and the announcement of the results.

There are several modes of voting, also known as electoral systems. The most cited are the plurality (first past the post, nominal multi, a tower, and two towers), proportional representation and mixed systems.

For the presidential election of 2006, the electoral law spent by direct universal suffrage and an absolute plurality in two rounds while national and provincial legislative elections have seen direct universal suffrage to the parallel poll. In short, there were a combination of two electoral majority and proportional depending on the size of the electoral district.

II. ELECTORAL SYSTEMS

Is called electoral systems arrested and charged recognized polling modes to democratically appoint candidates for their posts.^14(*)

Currently, there are two classic types of electoral systems who are opposed in this regard:

· Majority voting;

· Proportional representation.

2.1. THE PLURALITY

This electoral system translates as elected the candidate who arrives at the top of the list. One that gets the number superior voice over the other candidates. There are two forms of majoritarian systems: it may be majority outright in one round or two rounds majority system.

In the majority system, the candidate who obtains the largest number of votes is declared elected, regardless of the total of the votes obtained by opponents. It is the system practiced in the case of the elections in single seat in the Congo.

On the other hand, the election in two rounds, it is the form of majoritarian system where is elected who obtain half votes more one vote in the first round. In the case of non-realization of the absolute majority in the first round, a second is organized where the candidate will be elected. It is nominal multi when several candidates are elected in each electoral district.

2.2. THE PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION

It is a system in which the seats are divided between the lists in the presence proportionally with the number of votes obtained. The latter system promotes the representativeness of small political trends.

* ¹³ KABONGO KALALA KANDA Isidore. Transforming the radio and state television into of interest services public, Audit of the NTV, January 6, 2006

* ¹⁴ International Journalists' Network: www.ijnet.org