AUGUST TO PREVENT FURTHER INSTABILITY IN A COUNTRY ALREADY CRIPPLED BY WAR. DIPLOMATS HAD SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT CAMPAIGNING STARTED BY JUNE 30 -- THE DEADLINE SET UNDER EARLIER PEACE DEALS FOR THE ENTIRE PROCESS TO BE COMPLETED -- TO TRY TO DEFUSE TENSIONS OVER THE DELAY. LOGISTICAL STEPS LIKE REGISTRATION AND VERIFICATION OF THOUSANDS OF WOULD-BE CANDIDATES AND THE NEED TO PRINT BALLOT PAPERS TO BE DISTRIBUTED AMONG 25 MILLION VOTERS HAVE HAMPERED PREPARATIONS FOR THE POLLS. THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION HAS CONFIRMED THERE ARE 33 PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS, INCLUDING PRESIDENT KABILA AND THE REBEL LEADERS HE FOUGHT AGAINST, WHILE THE SUPREME COURT IS SIFTING THROUGH 9,587 APPLICATIONS FOR 500 PARLIAMENTARY SEATS. POLITICAL WRANGLING IN KINSHASA, CONTINUED FIGHTING BY REBELS AND RENEGADE MILITIA IN THE EAST AND A THREATENED BOYCOTT BY A POPULAR OPPOSITION PARTY THAT BELIEVES FREE POLLS ARE IMPOSSIBLE HAVE DONE NOTHING TO HELP THE PROCESS. THE UNITED NATIONS HAS ITS LARGEST PEACEKEEPING MISSION IN THE WORLD DEPLOYED IN CONGO, ALTHOUGH ITS FORCES ARE THINLY STRETCHED ACROSS THE VAST STATE, AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS PAYING MORE THAN $400 MILLION TO HELP ORGANISE THE ELECTIONS. DIPLOMATS SAID THE LATEST DATE WOULD ONLY BE MET IF BALLOT PAPERS WERE READY BY JUNE 16 AS DISTRIBUTING THEM AROUND A COUNTRY ROUGHLY THE SIZE OF WESTERN EUROPE BUT WITH LITTLE INFRASTRUCTURE WOULD TAKE SIX WEEKS.
