Winner named, disputed in Congo election
KINSHASA: Democratic Republic of Congo’s electoral commission yesterday declared opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi the winner of a disorganised and contentious December 30 presidential election.
The result could lead to Congo’s first democratic transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960, with longtime President Joseph Kabila due to step down in coming days.
But vote tallies compiled by Congo’s Catholic Church found that another opposition candidate, Martin Fayulu, clearly won the election, two diplomats said, raising the spectre of a standoff many fear could lead to violence.
Election commission (CENI) president Corneille Nangaa, speaking around 3am (4pm NZT) at a news conference that appeared timed to avoid any immediate reaction in the streets, said Tshisekedi had won with 38.57% of the more than 18 million ballots cast.
‘‘Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo is declared the provisionallyelected president of Democratic Republic of Congo,’’ Nangaa said to a mixture of cheers and gasps inside CENI headquarters.
Nangaa said Tshisekedi had received more than 7 million votes, compared to about 6.4 million for Fayulu and about 4.4 million for Kabila’s handpicked candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary.
The result is certain to fuel further suspicion that Tshisekedi, who the last opinion polls before the election showed running well behind Fayulu, struck a powersharing pact with Kabila.
Tshisekedi’s camp has admitted contacts since the vote with Kabila’s representatives, but denies there has been any deal.
Losing candidates, including Fayulu and Shadary, can contest the results before Congo’s constitutional court, which has 10 days to hear and rule on any challenges.
More than a million people could not vote on election day on December 30 because of an Ebola outbreak and militia violence in opposition strongholds, mainly in the east.