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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\nThe study looks back at the lessons that could have been learned from the 2018 electoral process<\/strong> and highlights the missed opportunity for bold electoral reforms<\/strong> for the upcoming elections Indeed, even today, as in past electoral cycles, political control persists<\/strong> over the institutions involved in managing the electoral process, including Ceni and the Constitutional Court. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “The lack of trust in Ceni and the Constitutional Court, the exclusive consultation frameworks, the vagueness surrounding the electoral districts, the technical options that derogate from the laws in force and, above all, the lack of transparency in the conduct of certain important operations, such as the mapping of registration centers, bode well for violent protests by socio-political actors. Ceni should keep in mind that what is at stake in this electoral process is its transparency and integrity,<\/em>” said Ithiel Batumike<\/strong>, senior researcher at Ebuteli. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Especially since the current electoral process seems to have been delayed, the specter of the “<\/strong>slippage”<\/em><\/strong> of the electoral calendar<\/strong> weighs<\/strong> on the obligation to hold the polls within the constitutional timeframe. The country is once again caught between the risk of holding botched elections with disputed results and the risk of a political dialogue and its arrangements for sharing responsibilities within the institutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In an attempt to salvage this flawed electoral process, this report recommends that the journey for confidence in the electoral process once again becomes the priority<\/strong> of all stakeholders in the DRC, including the Ceni.<\/p>\n\n\n\n