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President Félix Tshisekedi faces 18 candidates as he seeks a second term. Some 44 million people were eligible to cast their ballots, following a campaign dominated by worsening conflict in the mineral-rich east
Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) took place on 20th December. The incumbent President Félix Tshisekedi is seeking re-election amid a fragmented opposition in a politically and security-charged atmosphere.
There are reports that in several places the presidential election has been marred by lengthy delays and claims of fraud. Some polling stations, it is reported, did not open in time. That prompted four opposition leaders to ask for the cancellation of the elections. A few opposition leaders described the election process as fraught with chaos and irregularity.
President Félix Tshisekedi faces 18 candidates as he seeks a second term. Some 44 million people were eligible to cast their ballots, following a campaign dominated by worsening conflict in the mineral-rich east. DR Congo is roughly four times the size of France, but lacks basic infrastructure – even some of its main cities are not linked by road. About two-thirds of the country’s 100 million population live below the poverty line, earning US$2.15 (£1.7) a day or less.
The UN, Egypt, and neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville helped fly election material to remote areas. Political analysts are keenly watching the keenly contested elections. The incumbent president, some reports indicate, has an edge over others.
Poll day was declared a public holiday, and, as in previous elections, borders were closed, and domestic flights were suspended from midnight to midnight. Congolese diaspora residing in five countries were given voting rights.
Over 100,000 candidates were in the running for the four elections. The President of Céni, Denis Kadima, pledged transparency in the process, with real-time monitoring of results compilation. However, he did not specify when the first results would be posted in an operation center specially set up in Kinshasa.
Several election observation missions are deployed including international observers. With 25,000 people, the Catholic and Protestant churches’ mission is the largest, and its opinions and conclusions are traditionally closely followed. Its leaders promised a “parallel vote count” for the president in this single-round election. Félix Tshisekedi, in power since early 2019, is running for a second term against 18 other candidates. His record is mixed, which he acknowledges, but he is asking for five more years to consolidate his achievements.
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His main challenger, 58-year-old Moïse Katumbi, a wealthy businessman and former governor of the mining province of Katanga (southeast), has been particularly targeted by the incumbent president. Among other presidential candidates are Martin Fayulu, 67, who claims victory was stolen from him in the 2018 election, and Dr. Denis Mukwege, 68, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate for his work on behalf of raped women, known worldwide but a political novice.
