Tshisekedi Re-elected DRC President With More Than 70% Of The Vote
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi won re-election with more than 70 per cent of the vote, the country’s election commission announced on Sunday, 31 December.
The preliminary results of the December 20 election were announced in the capital, Kinshasa, reported Al Jazeera.
Businessman Moise Katumbi finished behind Tshisekedi with 18 per cent of the vote, while Martin Fayulu, a former oil company executive, received 5 per cent.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege, a physician renowned for treating women brutalised by sexual violence in eastern DR Congo, got less than 1 per cent.
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chief Denis Kadima said that the election had over 40 per cent turnout, with some 18 million people voting, adding that the results will be sent to the constitutional court for confirmation.
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Meanwhile, the opposition and some civil society groups have demanded a rerun of the vote citing massive logistical problems that put the validity of the outcome into question.
Opposition candidates opposing the results have two days to submit their claims, and the constitutional court has seven days to decide.
The final results are expected on 10 January, and the president is scheduled to be sworn in at the end of the month.
DRC has a history of disputed elections that can turn violent, and many of the country’s 100 million citizens have little trust in the country’s institutions.
Before the results were announced Sunday, opposition candidates, including Katumbi, said they rejected the results and called for demonstrations.
The logistical challenges encountered during the elections included many polling stations either opening late or not opening at all.
Materials were sometimes lacking, and many voter cards were rendered illegible due to smudged ink.
As a result, voting in the election had to be extended into a second day, something local observers and civil society organisations have deemed illegal, and parts of the country were still casting ballots five days after election day.
Earlier last week, confrontations broke out between supporters of Fayulu and police officers.
Tear gas was deployed as protesters, who were throwing rocks and barricading themselves inside the opposition headquarters, clashed with law enforcement.
More: Pindula News
