Felix Tshisekedi, the current president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been declared the winner of a second term with a significant majority, based on preliminary results. However, opposition leaders have rejected the outcome, calling it a fraudulent election.
The provisional outcome of the one-round presidential election, announced on Sunday by the nation’s electoral committee, Ceni, indicated that Tshisekedi had secured 73% of the votes.
Moise Katumbi, a successful entrepreneur, owner of a football club, and former governor of a province, came in second place with approximately 18%.
The constitutional court of the DRC is anticipated to validate the temporary outcomes by January 10th.
Tshisekedi, who is 60 years old, initially assumed office in January 2019 following a contested election that was deemed by many observers as a loss on his part.
Martin Fayulu, who asserts that he was deprived of victory in the 2018 presidential election, also challenged the results of this year’s poll. However, he ultimately only received approximately 5% of the votes.
Out of the 20 remaining contenders, Denis Mukwege, who earned a Nobel peace prize for his efforts in aiding female victims of sexual violence during war, had a support percentage of either slightly below or close to 1%.
Nine opposition candidates, including Mukwege, Fayulu, and Katumbi, signed a declaration on Sunday denouncing the election as a “sham” and demanding a new vote. Fayulu spoke to journalists in the capital, Kinshasa, stating that the results were a “farce” and should not be tolerated.
Before the full provisional results were announced, Trésor Kibangula, a political analyst at the Ebuteli research institute, told AFP that Tshisekedi’s vote count “far exceeds all predictions.”
“His successful campaign was effective,” however, there are concerns about the validity of his scores in certain areas due to observed irregularities,” he noted.
Tshisekedi, also known as “Fatshi”, guided the DRC during the Covid outbreak and the ongoing M23 uprising in the resource-rich eastern region.
Many have a mixed opinion about the success of his initial term as president. While the economy has seen growth, there is also a significant increase in inflation and unemployment rates remain high.
In his bid for re-election, Tshisekedi boasted about getting rid of primary school fees and pledged to generate numerous job opportunities. He also frequently accused members of the opposition of colluding with foreign powers.
On December 20th, 44 million individuals, out of the total 100 million population, were eligible to vote for a president, along with national and regional legislators and local council members.
According to observers, the voting period was extended by one day to accommodate issues and also continued in remote areas for several days.
A Catholic-Protestant observation team reported that they “recorded multiple instances of irregularities that could have potentially impacted the integrity of the voting process.”
Approximately 15 embassies have urged for “restraint” in the impoverished yet resource-rich nation where there have been frequent post-election tensions.
Officials report that they have implemented measures to deter turmoil, particularly in the southeastern mining regions where Katumbi holds strong influence. They also emphasize the requirement for any electoral conflicts to be brought before the constitutional court. However, opposition figures express lack of trust in both the court and Ceni, claiming they are controlled by the government.
Source: theguardian.com
