Bemba's hordes torch DRC Supreme Court building

I wrote earlier on the recent runoff presidential election in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A runoff won comfortably (58-42 percent) by the incumbent head of state Joseph Kabila. The losing candidate, former militia leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, rejected the victory claiming widespread fraud. This despite universal praise for the conduct of the United Nations-run election by international observers, who cited isolated irregularities that would not have affected the result considering Kabila's margin of victory. Bemba said he would "promise to use all legal means to ensure the will of our people is respected."

Apparently some the thugs in his camp never got the memo.

A mob of his supporters set on fire the DRC's Supreme Court building in the capital Kinshasa. Ironically, the Court was in session hearing LEGAL challenges by Bemba to election results.

Many Americans believe that Al Gore truly won the 2000 US presidential elections. Yet, even the most ardent Democrats did go off and burn the Supreme Court building, not even after the judicial body decreed Republican George W. Bush elected.

Apparently these delusional mobs believe that the DRC hasn't suffered enough division and that maybe a little more violence and disorder will save the country. If this is what Bemba's supporters believe, then thank God he didn't win the election.

I know these people are a small minority but until they start accepting the fact that democracy means your guy isn't going to win every time, then the DRC will have no future, regardless of who is president.