Its abundance of critical minerals encouraged outsiders to ignore election abuses but Congo s governance crisis holds up everything, Félix Tshisekedi s second presidential mandate is assured, and he has politically vanquished his domestic opposition after the 20 December elections. But his rhetoric on the campaign trail has made war more likely in the eastern provinces, at a time when the UN mission is leaving and his administration cannot stop the Teke-Yaka conflict nearer to Kinshasa in the west. Climate change makes life more dangerous for the Congolese – roads have also collapsed in recent weeks in Kananga, the capital of Kasai, because of heavy rain – but the President s attention is elsewhere.
Despite allegations of election fraud, the President s win is being recognised internationally, President Félix Tshisekedi looks set to have a stronger majority in parliament despite widespread opposition anger about the conduct of December s elections.
The opposition has rejected the results after chaos at the ballot box and official results contradicted the pre-poll surveys, Félix Tshisekedi appears almost certain to be confirmed for a second term as President despite opposition protests about the conducting of the polls, which saw Tshisekedi obtain 73% of the vote, according to the Commission Électorale Nationale Indépendante, ahead of business mogul-turned-politician Moïse Katumbi with 18% and Martin Fayulu with 5%, on a turnout of more than 40%. However, those numbers are widely at odds with independent opinion surveys suggesting that Tshisekedi would take 49.3% of the vote and Katumbi 28.1%.
Delays and bureaucratic snarl-ups mar early voting across country with 44 million on electoral register, Voting started in Congo-Kinshasa s national and local elections on 20 December after three hours of delays in the country s biggest cities, Kinshasa and Lumbumbashi. The latest independent opinion surveys put President Félix Tshisekedi ahead of his three main opponents with 49.3% of the vote, and the Katanga-based business mogul-politician Moïse Katumbi running second with 28.1%. The other two contenders are Martin Fayulu, judged to have won the 2018 election according to data leaks from the electoral commission, and Denis Mukwege, a surgeon who has won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in war zones. Campaigning has been limited geographically, with only Tshisekedi and Katumbi mounting nationwide campaigns.
For all the President s rhetoric and slick campaigning, many voters remember his failure to deliver on past promises, The campaigning season is careering towards election day on 20 December with Félix Tshisekedi expected to win another presidential term despite his meagre record in government. That said, Congolese electors take their duty seriously and could still choose to express their dissatisfaction on the chronic state of the economy, security and public services by voting against the status quo.