UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Tuesday asked the parties in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to resolve their electoral disputes through legal channels.
The members of the Security Council noted that disputes have been lodged before the Constitutional Court, said the council in a press statement. "They encouraged all concerned stakeholders to preserve the generally peaceful climate of the elections, and to take up any reservations or disputes through the proper mechanisms and processes provided for in the constitution of the DRC and its electoral law."
The council members urged all parties to refrain from violence, and stressed the need for them to act in a way that reaffirms the integrity of the electoral process and respects the outcome of the poll, upholds democracy and preserves peace in the country.
The council members further appealed for the pursuit of national unity and peacebuilding, including through political dialogue among all stakeholders.
They reiterated their full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC and their continued support and commitment for the consolidation of peace, stability and development in the DRC.
DRC elections were long overdue. A political agreement on Dec. 31, 2016 allowed President Joseph Kabila, who has been in power since 2001, to stay on after his term of office had expired, on the condition that elections would be held within 2017. But elections were delayed on the grounds of logistics, triggering unrest.
In November 2017, the country's electoral commission published an electoral calendar for the combined presidential, legislative and provincial elections for Dec. 23, 2018. The elections were held on Dec. 30.
