Catholic bishops condemn DR Congo presidential poll

Catholic bishops in the Democratic Republic of Congo have denounced elections in November which re-elected President Joseph Kabila.

A statement from 35 bishops complains of "treachery, lies and terror" and calls on the election commission to correct "serious errors".

Last week, the archbishop of Kinshasa called for a campaign of disobedience and for the results to be annulled.

The poll was heavily criticised by foreign observers and the opposition.

International observers said the elections - in which more than 18,000 candidates contested 500 parliamentary seats - suffered from widespread irregularities.

However, despite the allegations, incumbent Joseph Kabila was declared the winner by the Supreme Court and inaugurated in December.

Opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi rejected Mr Kabila's victory and held his own swearing-in ceremony.

The full results of the ballot have not yet been released.

'Treachery'

The Catholic Church - which holds considerable influence in the overwhelmingly Christian nation - had the largest network of independent observers during the election.

"The electoral commission [must] have the courage to correct [these] serious errors or resign," the Catholic bishops council said in a statement read out at a special service in the capital's largest cathedral.

"We cannot build a state in a culture of treachery, lies and terror, of militarisation and the flagrant violation of the freedom of expression," added the statement, read out by secretary-general Abbot Leonard Santedi.

"The testimonies we collected from various dioceses and other sources point to an often chaotic electoral process."

The bishops also spoke of "a climate of fear maintained in order to facilitate ballot-stuffing", AFP reports.

Last week, Archbishop of Kinshasa Laurent Monsengwo said the results were illegitimate and called for non-violent marches to be held.

Western observers denounced the presidential results as seriously flawed, but the electoral commission - backed by the African Union - hailed the polls a success.

The elections were the first Congolese-organised polls since the end of a devastating war in 2003 that left millions dead.

An earlier poll in 2006 was organised under the auspices of the United Nations.

Mr Kabila has been president since 2001 following the assassination of his father, Laurent.