Twenty million voters cast ballots July 30, 2006, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's first free election since 1960. A runoff election three months later, between transitional president Joseph Kabila and transitional vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba, gave Kabila a mandate to lead the war-torn nation for five more years. The elections, in which 33 candidates vied for the presidency, were generally peaceful, although the runoff was hampered by rioting. The international community pinned hopes on these elections, originally scheduled for June 2005, as a way to stabilize Africa's third largest nation. The DR Congo or DRC, as the country is commonly known, has been besieged by fighting since 1996. The stability of this nation--which is as large as Western Europe, has more than 60 million inhabitants, and is bordered by nine countries--is critical for maintaining stability in Central Africa. This article discusses the elections and the battle for mineral resources in Congo. (Contains 13 notes.)