Five presidential candidates from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s opposition have united in demanding a redo of the nation’s recent general elections. They argue that the election commission’s decision to extend the voting period was against the constitution.
Following a day marked by disorganized administration, delays, and closed polling locations, electoral officials announced on Wednesday evening that voting would resume the next day in regions where voters were unable to cast their ballots.
However, the decision was deemed unlawful by opposing candidates such as Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege and former oil executive Martin Fayulu, who are demanding a fresh election.
There were concerns that the simultaneous elections for a president, national and regional legislators, and local council members in the impoverished but resource-rich country of central Africa could result in chaos.
Those concerns were confirmed on Wednesday.
Even though the voting process began at 6am, a group of church-affiliated observers reported that by noon, 31% of polling stations were still not open and 45% of the functioning stations had encountered issues with their voting machines.
The observer mission of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo and the Church of Christ in Congo also reported that some of their 25,000 observers were unable to access polling stations.
Félix Tshisekedi, who is 60 years old and was inaugurated in 2019, is currently seeking re-election for another five-year term as President. He is widely believed to be the leading candidate to win the presidential election, which will take place in a single round.
Out of the 111 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, approximately 44 million are eligible to vote.
Over 100,000 individuals are competing for different roles, and although the tallying was supposed to start immediately after voting locations shut down, it will likely take several days before the results are revealed.
Studio Hirondelle RDC, a coalition of independent radio stations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, recorded frustrated crowds at polling locations in various regions of the country due to lengthy lines.
The issues were believed to be a result of delays in delivering voting materials to polling locations, with some stations lacking voter registration lists and facing difficulties due to low-quality voter ID cards. The ink on the cards had worn off, causing names and pictures to be illegible.
Mukwege, the recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in treating survivors of rape, expressed concern about the increasing occurrence of serious malfunctions and irregularities in the current election. These events only confirm our suspicions of deliberate electoral fraud.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mukwege released a statement expressing concerns regarding issues such as missing voting machines, voters unable to locate their names on lists, observers facing obstructions, and instances of individuals being instructed on how to vote.
We are concerned that the outcome of a disorganized vote will not accurately represent the wishes of the people and their strong desire for change.
The initial individuals to vote submitted their ballots at a polling location in the eastern city of Kisangani. This region is one hour ahead of the western part of the large country, which covers two different time zones.
Voting subsequently commenced in various other cities, but encountered delays and bureaucratic obstacles.
A man of 30 years, who had been queuing for three hours in Goma, a city in the east, expressed his growing frustration and declared that he would likely abandon the line soon. “We’re exhausted. This place is always chaotic,” he stated.
According to Richard Moncrieff, head of the Great Lakes project at the International Crisis Group, numerous issues on election day were predicted beforehand. Prior to the election, there were concerns about insufficient funding and delayed delivery of election materials.
“The legitimacy of the elections has been significantly compromised and the opposing party may challenge not only the results, but the entire procedure,” stated Moncrieff. “There is no specific requirement for the number of voters needed to validate an election, which could result in a significant portion of the population being unable to vote without cause.”
According to Studio Hirondelle RDC, a polling station in Ituri province was assaulted by displaced individuals who were informed on the day of the election that they were not eligible to cast their votes.
The Ituri region is home to a large number of people who have been forced to leave their homes in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This is due to the M23 rebels, who are supported by Rwanda, instigating a new uprising against the government in 2022.
The electoral commission of the DRC recently declared that those who have been displaced in the North Kivu province, where the conflict is concentrated, will not be able to participate in the voting process due to safety concerns that have hindered their registration.
Tshisekedi, the leading candidate, has a checkered history, which he has admitted. While he oversaw a period of economic expansion, there was minimal job growth and high inflation. He is seeking reelection in order to solidify his achievements.
During the campaign, he openly criticized the so-called “foreign candidates,” implying that his rivals have conflicting loyalties and are not capable of challenging Rwanda’s alleged support of rebel factions in the DRC.
Moïse Katumbi, a 58-year-old entrepreneur and former leader of the resource-rich province of Katanga, is the primary focus of these assaults.
The main contenders from the opposing parties express their doubts about the government’s involvement in planning election fraud.
Source: theguardian.com
