The electoral commission of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has confirmed that full provisional results of the recent elections will be disclosed on Sunday, December 31, 2023. Incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi is anticipated to secure a substantial victory, holding about 73 percent of the votes out of the 15.9 million counted by Friday evening.
A total of 44 million people were registered to vote on December 20, participating in elections to choose a president, national and regional lawmakers, and municipal councillors. However, the electoral process faced significant challenges, marked by bureaucratic disarray. The electoral commission struggled to timely deliver voting materials to polling booths across the vast and fragile country, impacting some individuals’ ability to cast their ballots. Officially extended by a day, voting persisted for an extended period in remote areas.
Denis Kadima, the head of the electoral commission, announced that the provisional results would be unveiled on December 31, a date initially expected but not confirmed since the elections took place. The final results are slated for confirmation by the Constitutional Court in January.
The opposition has raised concerns about the electoral process, citing “total chaos” during the vote and denouncing irregularities. The archbishop of Kinshasa characterized the election as a “gigantic organized mess.” A joint election-observation mission by the Catholic Church and Protestant churches emphasized “numerous cases of irregularities,” casting doubt on the legality of the voting process.
