Politics

DR Congo’s Constitutional Court confirms Tshisekedi’s victory in controversial election

Kinshasa, Jan 9 (EFE). – The Constitutional Court of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Tuesday confirmed the re-election of President Felix Tshisekedi, despite the opposition’s complaints about the Dec. 20 elections, which it called a “sham.”

According to the Congolese Constitutional Court, Tshisekedi received 73.47% of the vote instead of the 73.34% announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Constitutional Court also rejected the claims of presidential candidate Theodore Ngoy, who came in last with only 0.02% of the vote, and politician David Ehetshe Mpala, who challenged the election results.

Tshisekedi is expected to be sworn in for a second term on Jan. 20, despite criticism from his main opponents.

Three other candidates – the former governor of Katanga (south), Moïse Katumbi, who came in second (18.08%), Martin Fayulu (5.33%), and the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Denis Mukwege (less than 1%) – also rejected the results and called for a rerun after calling the elections a “sham.”

Some 44 million people – out of the country’s population of over 150 hundred million – were called on Dec. 20 to exercise their right to vote in presidential, legislative, provincial and local elections at 75,000 polling stations.

However, some 18 million valid votes were recorded, representing a 43 percent turnout.

The chaotic elections were marred by delays and logistical problems that forced voting to be extended for several days, as well as complaints of irregularities by the opposition.

The influential National Episcopal Conference deployed nearly 24,000 election observers who denounced vote buying, cases of violence and intimidation against voters, delays in opening the polls and the expulsion of observers, among other abuses.

Thus, it indicated that there were “numerous cases of irregularities” that could change the results “in certain places.”

Tshisekedi came to power in the 2018 elections, which were criticized by the opposition and the international community, and of which many consider Martin Fayulu the legitimate winner. EFE

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