The African Union (AU) on Tuesday expressed satisfaction with the prevailing election campaign conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), saying that it "noted with appreciation the progress" made by the Independent Electoral Commission in preparing for the elections.

It urged all political stakeholders and civil society groups " to work together to ensure the completion of this process in a calm and serene atmosphere and to continue to display a high sense of responsibility in this delicate phase of the ongoing process in the DRC," said a press statement issued after a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council.

The press statement said the pan-African body welcomed the deployment of election observers by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the AU Commission, as well as by South Africa, the Republic of Congo and Nigeria.

The giant central African state was scheduled to hold the presidential elections this coming Sunday. Over 30 presidential candidates are contesting the first democratic poll in 40 years. The polls are intended to end the transition period following the official end of DRC's five-year war in 2003.

Source: Xinhua