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Former US President Jimmy Carter is urging Democratic Republic of Congo’s election commission to ensure that presidential election results “reflect the will of the Congolese people” as concerns grow about possible unrest.

A Carter Centre statement on the eve of the scheduled announcement of the first results asks Congolese to remain patient, and it says it understands if vote-counting “might require a few extra days”.

Electoral authorities have indicated a delay might be needed.

Less than half of results had been compiled as of Saturday night.

The Carter Centre, which along with other Western observer missions were not invited to watch the vote, urges that vote-counting be transparent and suggests that the electoral commission post polling station-level results on its website.

Internet services in DRC, however, were cut off the day after the election in an apparent effort by the government to prevent social media speculation about the results.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church in the DRC is warning the country’s electoral commission that publishing untrue results of the presidential election could lead to a popular “uprising”.

The church’s letter to the electoral commission’s president comes a day before the expected announcement of the first, partial results of the December 30 election.

The international community has urged DRC to release accurate results.

The church, a powerful voice in the heavily Catholic nation, earlier said its data show a clear winner.

The church deployed some 40 000 electoral observers in all polling centers, but Congolese regulations say only the electoral commission can announce election results.

The commission on Friday said the church’s announcement could incite an “uprising.”

DRC’s ruling party, which backs candidate Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, called the church’s attitude “irresponsible and anarchist.”

Leading opposition candidate Martin Fayulu has not commented.

– AFP