In Kinshasa, citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo are eagerly anticipating the release of preliminary outcomes from the recent presidential and parliamentary elections. This follows an unexpected extension of the voting period, which has led to allegations of irregularities from several opposition figures who are demanding a fresh vote.
The incumbent President, Felix Tshisekedi, is seeking re-election and has faced numerous challenges during his tenure, including economic difficulties and escalating violence in the eastern regions of the country where numerous rebel groups are active. The stakes are high in this mineral-rich nation, a major global supplier of copper and the principal source of cobalt, essential for the production of electric vehicle batteries.
Technical issues with voting equipment, logistical problems with distributing election materials, difficulties in voter registration verification, and incidents of violence characterized the electoral process, causing disruptions that led to the vote being prolonged into a second day in some areas.
This extension has sparked controversy, with five opposition presidential candidates decrying it as unconstitutional and raising questions about the integrity of the electoral process. The national election commission (Commission Électorale Nationale Indépendante – CENI) has refuted these claims, asserting that the results will be credible and has started to release provisional results as promised.
In a move towards greater transparency, the CENI has established a results center named ‘Basolo’, which translates to ‘Truth’ in the local Lingala language. Here, they plan to display incoming results from individual polling stations openly, meeting a major demand of opposition groups and civil society organizations who have voiced concerns over potential election fraud in the past.
The commission has expressed a commitment to announcing full provisional results by December 31, although it remains to be seen if the voting extension will impact this timeline. CENI’s vice president, Didi Manara, addressed the logistical challenges on Top Congo FM, attributing them to factors beyond the commission’s control and not to poor planning. He also reminded listeners that a similar extension occurred during the country’s 2011 elections.
Approximately 44 million individuals were eligible to vote in this election, which was marred by violence even during the campaigning phase. Moise Katumbi, one of the presidential candidates, has claimed an early lead based on his team’s monitoring of the vote count.
Adding to the scrutiny of the electoral process, the Congo’s influential Catholic Church has deployed over 25,000 observers to independently compile election results. This church-led mission also challenged the official results during the 2018 election, highlighting the significance of their role in ensuring electoral integrity.
The country now waits as the results are collated and announced, with many hoping for a peaceful outcome that reflects the will of the Congolese people.,
As the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) awaits the first provisional results of its recent election, tensions are high due to the chaotic nature of the voting process. The election, which was supposed to mark the first peaceful transfer of power since the country’s independence in 1960, was marred by logistical problems, allegations of fraud, and the displacement of millions of voters due to conflict.
Several polling stations opened late or were ill-equipped, with reports of missing voter rolls and malfunctioning voting machines. In some areas, the elections were postponed entirely due to health concerns related to an ongoing Ebola outbreak and security issues.
The international community has been closely monitoring the situation, with many observers expressing concern about the credibility of the election results. Opposition parties have also raised the alarm, suggesting that the vote could be rigged in favor of the ruling coalition.
The DRC’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) is responsible for tallying the votes and announcing the provisional results. The commission has urged patience and calm as they work to ensure that the results accurately reflect the will of the Congolese people.
The eventual announcement of the election results will be a critical moment for the DRC, as it could either pave the way for a historic peaceful transition of power or plunge the country back into political crisis if the legitimacy of the election is widely disputed.
