DR Congo’s President Tshisekedi triumphs handily in his bid for a second term.
Tshisekedi secured 73 percent of the vote to win the presidential election, according to the DRC’s electoral commission.
DR Congo's President Tshisekedi
On Sunday, December 31, 2023 (DR Congo), results were revealed, showing that Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been elected to a second term in office.
Felix Tshisekedi secured 73 percent of the vote to win the presidential election, according to the DRC’s electoral commission.
Concurrently, the opposition candidates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have rejected the preliminary results declared by the electoral commission, alleging that there were numerous anomalies throughout the election process.
However, Moise Katumbi, a businessman, came in second place with 18% of the vote.
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With almost 5% of the total votes cast, Martin Fayulu, another presidential candidate, came in third. Fayulu, who ran unsuccessfully in the 2018 presidential race, has said that ballots were pilfered.
Recipient of the Nobel Prize Denis Mkwege was among the other presidential contenders who received less than 1 percent of the vote.
Nine opposition candidates issued a statement on Sunday, December 31, criticizing Tshisekedi’s win and urging a rerun.
On December 31, Fayulu called the election a farce and unacceptable at a press conference in Kinshasa.
On January 10, 2024, the DRC’s constitutional court is anticipated to rule, either upholding or disputing the election results.
The number of Congolese citizens registered to vote in the elections conducted on December 20, 2023, was estimated to be 44 million. Due to certain difficulties in the distant locations, the voting was postponed for one more day.
Election observers acknowledged that there were a few anomalies during the voting process, despite the authorities’ insistence that any disagreements about elections go before the constitutional court.
Furthermore, fifteen embassies in Kinshasa have asked citizens to maintain composure as the electoral authority and irate candidates try to work out their differences.
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However, because they were allegedly corrupted by the administration, opposition candidates announced that they no longer trusted the electoral commission or the legal system.
