| Abstract: | The rule of law provides an opportunity for rulers to listen to the governed on a regular basis. To this end, elections are held at regular intervals. Thus, the power that emerges from elections seems to be the most legitimate one that can exist. However, although strengthened by legality, the power that comes from an election is likely to lose all legitimacy because of the rate of its participation. On election days, the level of participation is feverishly awaited and constitutes a prerequisite for any commentary. Like a barometer, it is an indicator of the climate of opinion, of the link between citizens and their political representation, and more broadly of the health of democracy. Of diverse origin, the causes of abstention go beyond the simple reason of disinterest and cover both legal and political aspects. In the coming days, the democratic republic of congo is expected to hold one of the most important elections in its history. However, considering the statistics of the participation rate in the 2006 elections, in those of 2011 and recently in those organized in december 2018, the next cycle is likely to have a higher abstention rate. This will have considerable implications for the legitimacy of institutions with electoral origins. The proposed indicator takes into account the causes and consequences of this phenomenon and prescribes a range of remedies, including the fight against electoral fraud, the expansion of civic and political education, the conception of the exercise of the right to vote as a duty and the reform of the congolese electoral system. |
AfricaBib 
Periodical article