I. Introduction

In assessing the Democratic Republic of the Congo (hereafter, DRC) and the effectiveness of its governance, a multitude of factors intersect in mosaic fashion, displaying an unstable and decaying state[1]. The scope of this paper will focus primarily on the relationship between the ethno-political factions and the neopatrimonial authority in the DRC and how the interaction of the two has led to the continuation of the DRC’s failing government and issues specifically within its electoral process.