With votes tallied from 12,200 of the nation’s 36,000 polling stations, the president of the republic’s Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) told reporters 78.47 percent of people had voted ‘yes’.
Apollinaire Malu Malu said that even in the opposition stronghold of the capital Kinshasa, a slim majority of 50.45 percent was in favour of bringing in constitutional change.
Some 24.5 million Congolese were called to vote on the troubled republic’s future, asked to decide whether a draft constitution already approved by the transitional government should go ahead.
A ‘yes’ vote will allow a new political structure to take shape, forging a new balance of power between the president and the government and bringing decentralised rule to 25 new provinces.
The president will serve a five year term, with the option of running for one more term only.
A new bicameral parliament will also be elected-in every five years.
Approval of the charter would mark a significant milestone on the republic’s path towards democracy after decades of conflict that killed an estimated three million people.
Peace accords were signed in December 2002, with the United Nations’ largest peacekeeping mission (MONUC) established to restore security to the region where war had drawn in fighters from six surrounding African states.
The strongest show of support has come from the DR Congo’s easternmost provinces, which saw the bloodiest fighting.
South and North Kivu, which share borders with Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, voted 97 and 96 percent in favour of reform.
The African Union, former colonial power Belgium and the United States have all congratulated the country on a high voter turnout, which has been put at more than 60 percent by the CEI and independent observers alike.
“The United States will work co-operatively with the international community, all political parties, and Congolese civil society to ensure the DRC’s political transition occurs peacefully, freely, and fairly through democratic elections at the presidential, legislative and provincial levels,” White House spokesman Scott McClellan said in a statement.
A conclusive ‘yes’ vote will see the republic again go to the polls on June 30 next year to decide on a new president and parliament.