LUANDA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A special envoy from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Monday briefed Angolan President Joao Lourenco on the DRC's upcoming elections.
The DRC is committed to holding general elections on Dec. 23, DRC Foreign Minister Leonard She Okitundu told the press after meeting with Lourenco, who is also president of the Southern African Development Community's political cooperation, defense and security body.
Filing nominations for the legislative and presidential elections will kick off on July 24, the minister added.
Angolan Foreign Minister Manuel Augusto said it is in Angola's interests that the elections in the neighboring country take place without any constraints.
Initially marked for Dec. 31, 2017, the DRC elections were rescheduled for Dec. 23, 2018 after the opposition demanded the departure of Joseph Kabila, whose presidential mandate expired in 2016.
Constitutionally, Kabila is barred from running for another presidential term.
The former president has said he would comply with the electoral calendar.
According to media reports, dozens were killed in recent demonstrations in capital Kinshasa to stop Kabila from running for a third term.