Fraud complaint about presidential election
KINSHASA: Outgoing Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila’s ruling coalition won a majority in legislative elections, a coalition official said yesterday, despite opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi’s win in the presidential vote the same day.
The result will undercut Tshisekedi’s ability to deliver on campaign promises to make a break with the 18year Kabila era and fuelled suspicion that his victory, announced on Friday, came through a backroom deal that will preserve Kabila’s influence over important ministries and the security forces.
Kabila is due to step down in the coming days in what was meant to be Congo’s first democratic transfer of power in 59 years of independence. But he has signalled he might run for president in 2023, when term limits no longer apply.
The runnerup in the presidential election, Martin Fayulu, filed a fraud complaint yesterday with Congo’s highest court to challenge the result, a campaign spokeswoman, Eve Bazaiba, said.
Fayulu says he won in a landslide in the December 30 ballot with more than 60% of votes and accuses Tshisekedi of striking a deal with Kabila to be declared the winner.
Tshisekedi’s camp denies there was any deal with Kabila and says meetings it held with his representatives after the election were meant solely to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.
The disputed outcome threatens to reawaken violence in the Congo, where millions have died during civil wars since the 1990s.
In a tweet Fayulu said the election commission CENI’s results ‘‘were invented out of whole cloth. I demand a hand recount of all votes for the three elections (presidential, national legislative and provincial)’’.
The court has eight days to rule, but Fayulu has said he does not expect a favourable judgement since the court is made up of Kabila appointees. — Reuters