Congo’s presidential vote is extended as delays and smudged ballots lead to fears about credibility

By SAM MEDNICK and RUTH ALONGA
Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Lengthy delays at the polls have led voting in Congo’s presidential election to be extended to Thursday as the West African nation faces steep logistical and security challenges that have raised questions about the ballot’s credibility. The election commission says polls unable to open Wednesday will conduct voting on Thursday. The commission has declared that it would allow every voter to cast a ballot. Among other problems, some ballots were so smudged they were illegible, and some people say they can’t find their names on voting rolls. At stake is the credibility of the vote in one of Africa’s largest nations, and one whose mineral resources are increasingly crucial to the global economy.