The opposition in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has rejected the results of the presidential election after Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendante (Ceni) announced that incumbent Felix Tshisekedi had polled 73 per cent of the total votes cast to win himself a second term.
The elections held on December 20 were extended for days after logistical challenges made it difficult to deliver voting materials.
Although about 40 million people had registered to vote in the election, voter turnout was at about 40 per cent. Only about 18 million people voted to choose a new government.
Results released by Ceni in the capital Kinshasa on December 31, 2023 indicated that Tshisekedi polled about 73 per cent of the total votes cast, followed by Moise Katumbi (18 per cent), Martin Fayulu (five per cent), and Denis Mukwege (< 1 per cent).
Ceni’s Denis Kadima Kazadi said the elections were “the victory of democracy and not of one camp over another.” He then declared that Tshisekedi was the “provisionally elected President” of DRC.
The opposition has rejected the results of the poll and called for another election, saying the one conducted on December 20 was neither free nor fair and did not reflect the will of the Congolese people.
“If a foreign country considers these elections to be elections, there’s a problem. It is a farce. Don’t accept [the results],” Fayulu told reporters on December 31, hours before Ceni declared Tshisekedi winner.
The opposition now has two days within which to file a petition for the cancellation of the results in the Constitutional Court. The court has seven days to make a decision on whether to cancel or uphold Ceni’s result. The deadline for publication of final and official results is January 10, 2024 ahead of the president-elect’s inauguration before February 2024.
On December 27, opposition protests turned chaotic. Fayulu rejected the results and promised more protests to push for a rerun officiated by a new electoral body.
“After their barbarity on May 20 in Ngaba, Mr. Félix Tshisekedi’s police did it again this Wednesday, December 27 in front of the ECiDé headquarters,” wrote the opposition leader.
“No, no one will accept Denis Kadima’s sham elections and its farcical results. The Congolese people are now standing and nothing will stop their determination to recover their sovereignty and dignity through credible elections with a reconstituted Ceni.”
Meanwhile, Tshisekedi had in his campaign rallies attacked President Paul Kagame, threatening to attack Rwanda. (See Details Here).
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