Incumbent president Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo is poised to be declared the winner in the recent elections, which opposition leaders are already labeling as a “sham.”
Tshisekedi, 60, who has been in power since January 2019, is seeking a second five-year term. Preliminary results, with 17.8 million votes counted by Saturday evening, show him leading with 72 percent. Businessman Moise Katumbi is in second place with 18.9 percent, while Martin Fayulu, claiming he was robbed of the 2018 election, trails at 5.5 percent.
The National Independent Electoral Commission (Ceni) plans to announce provisional totals on Sunday, but Fayulu and others have expressed dissatisfaction, alleging “organised fraud” and vowing not to accept the election outcome.
Tresor Kibangula, a political analyst, noted that Tshisekedi’s vote tally exceeded expectations, but concerns linger about irregularities in certain regions.
The election, initially scheduled for December 20, faced challenges, leading to an official one-day extension and continued voting in remote areas. Observers documented numerous irregularities that could have impacted the vote’s integrity.
Post-election tensions have been common in the mineral-rich country, prompting 15 embassies to call for restraint. Authorities have taken measures to prevent unrest, particularly in Katumbi’s stronghold in the south-east mining areas.
While final results are expected to be announced by the Constitutional Court on January 10, opposition leaders express mistrust in both the court and Ceni, claiming subservience to the government.
