Foreign News

Tshisekedi Declared Winner Of Congo Election, Fayulu Cries Fraud

Published

5 years ago

January 10, 2019

Democratic Republic of Congo’s electoral commission today declared opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi the surprise winner of 30 December presidential election, a result that sets the stage for the country’s first democratic transfer of power.

But the runner up in the poll, Martin Fayulu dismissed the result as “a true electoral coup”.

“The results have nothing to do with the truth of the ballot box,” the second opposition candidate Martin Fayulu told Radio France International.

Tshisekedi won with 38.57 percent Republic of Congo’sercent of more than 18 million ballots cast, Corneille Nangaa, the president of the election commission (CENI), told a news conference at about 3 a.m. , that appeared timed to avoid any immediate reaction in the streets.

“Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo is declared the provisionally- elected president of Democratic Republic of Congo,” Nangaa said, to a mixture of cheers and gasps inside CENI headquarters.

In the Kinshasa neighbourhood of Limete where Tshisekedi lives, thousands of people danced in the streets in celebration and cars slowed down and honked their horns.

Some chanted that Congo had “turned the page” on the Kabila era, which began in 1997 when Joseph Kabila’s father, Laurent, led a rebellion that overthrew longtime leader Mobutu Sese Seko. Joseph took over in 2001 when Laurent was assassinated.

If Tshisekedi’s victory is confirmed in the next 10 days by the constitutional court, he will become the first leader to take power at the ballot box since Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, who was toppled in a coup less than three months after independence in 1960 and killed four months later.

The outcome of the contentious Dec. 30 poll is likely to be contested by Fayulu. Vote tallies by Congo’s Catholic church showed Fayulu as victor, according to two diplomats briefed on the findings.

Opposition fears that authorities would rig the vote in favour of Kabila’s hand-picked candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, did not materialize as Shadary finished a distant third to Tshisekedi and Fayulu, with about 4.4 million votes.

However, the result, which observers said was marred by a spate of irregularities, is certain to fuel further suspicion among Fayulu’s supporters that Tshisekedi, shown by the last opinion polls before the election to be running well behind Fayulu, struck a power-sharing pact with Kabila.

Fayulu was backed by two prominent foes of Kabila, both of whom were barred from standing in the election. Kabila referred to one of them, ex-provincial governor Moise Katumbi, as “Judas” in a recent interview with local media.

Tshisekedi’s camp has acknowledged contacts since the vote with Kabila’s representatives but said they were aimed at ensuring a peaceful transition and denied there had been any kind of deal.

Tshisekedi is the son of the legendary Etienne Tshisekedi, who led opposition to three successive presidents over 35 years. Felix’s profile rose after his father died in 2017, soon after negotiating the terms of a transition period when Kabila refused to step down at the official end of his mandate the previous year.

Losing candidates can contest Tshisekedi’s victory before Congo’s constitutional court, which has 10 days to hear and rule on any challenges.

Any widespread perception the election has been stolen could set off a destabilising cycle of unrest, particularly in the volatile eastern borderlands where Fayulu enjoyed some of his strongest support.

The Catholic Church’s bishops conference said last week that it knew the identity of the winner and demanded that CENI publish accurate results. The Church did not say who it thought the winner was, but briefed diplomats on its conclusions.

Authorities cancel led voting on election day for more than one million people, saying the vote could not go ahead because of an Ebola outbreak and militia violence.

Observers said many polling stations opened late and closed early and in some places voting machines malfunctioned.

Related Topics:Republic of Congo Tshisekedi

Up Next

Ekiti Set To Commence TSA

Don't Miss

Nobody Sustains Injury –NRC

Click to comment

Foreign News

EKWEREMADU : DABIRI-EREWA PLEADS FOR COMPASSION

Published

1 year ago

May 3, 2023

august24admin

AJAGBE ADEYEMl TESLIM

Foreign News

DABIRI-EREWA BAGS YET ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL HONOR

Published

1 year ago

March 25, 2023

august24admin

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

Foreign News

Chizoba: FG Will Demand Full Investigation into Her Death in Ethiopian Prison- Dabiri-Erewa

Published

1 year ago

March 15, 2023

august24admin

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Nigerian Mission in Ethiopia will demand full investigation into the circumstances that led to the death.of a Nigerian, Chizoba Favor Eze ,in Ethiopian Prison.

Reacting to the reported death of Chizobia Eze, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/ CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) said the Commission is in contact with the Nigerian Mission in Ethiopia and the
circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident will be thoroughly looked into.

She expressed concern over the reported conditions of some Nigerians, serving various jail terms in Ethiopia, most of whom were drug related.

She also said the Nigerian Mission in Ethiopia has proposed an MOU from the Nigerian Correctional Service on transfer of sentenced persons to Nigeria with the Ethiopian authorities to complete their respective jail terms in Nigeria, and are awaiting a response from Ethiopia , adding that though Ethiopia had granted an amnesty to Nigerian Prisoners in 2019 , a number of them still found their way back to the country and allegedly still committed the same drug related crimes and were re- arrested.

The NIDCOM boss sent her deepest condolences to the family of Chizoba,
who was said to have died in Kaliti Prison , Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on sunday March 12, 2023 following an alleged physical aggression.