Felix Tshisekedi has been re-elected for a second term as the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the country's election commission CENI. The announcement was made on Sunday, following complaints from the opposition about the conduct of the December 20th poll. Tshisekedi secured over 73% of the vote, with more than 13 million votes out of over 18 million valid votes. The voter turnout was recorded at over 43%. Although Tshisekedi's supporters celebrated the provisional election results, political parties and candidates have two days to challenge the outcome at the Constitutional Court.
Opposition frontrunner Moise Katumbi, who secured 18% of the votes and came second, has already ruled out taking legal action, citing the alleged lack of independence of state institutions. Other opposition candidates have not yet confirmed whether they will challenge the results. Earlier on Sunday, a group of nine opposition presidential candidates, including Katumbi, and six political party leaders called on their supporters to protest after the release of the provisional results. They rejected the election as a "sham" and demanded fresh elections with a new electoral body.
The Congo government has previously rejected calls for a rerun of the elections. The dispute over the election results has been fueled by logistical setbacks, an extension of the election day, and opaque vote counting. These issues further destabilize the country, which is roughly the size of Western Europe and is the largest producer of cobalt and other valuable industrial commodities.
Since election day, Tshisekedi's main challenger, Martin Fayulu, has been demanding a re-run of the election and legislative elections, accusing CENI of favoring the president. The allegations of fraud and irregularities have been dismissed by CENI and the government, despite concerns raised by independent observer groups about the credibility and legality of the election due to the extended voting period and incidents during the vote counting process.
While Tshisekedi's victory has been declared provisionally, the final result will be announced by the Constitutional Court after it rules on any challenges within the next seven days. The outcome of these legal proceedings and the reactions of the opposing candidates and their supporters will have significant implications for the political stability of the Democratic Republic of Congo.