The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Moise Katumbi, a prominent opposition figure in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s presidential election, has joined the chorus demanding the annulment of the December 20 vote due to alleged “massive fraud,” according to a statement from his campaign on Saturday. The statement also called for the resignation of the head of Congo’s national election commission, accusing the commission of being complicit in a planned “electoral fraud.”
While Katumbi did not directly call for the protest planned by another group of opposition candidates, his team expressed support for any constitutional initiative resisting electoral malpractice in Congo. Election-related disputes often lead to unrest in the country, risking further instability in a nation with globally significant cobalt and copper reserves, battling widespread poverty and an eastern security crisis.
In response to growing concerns about post-election developments, 13 embassies in Kinshasa, including those of Germany and France, issued a joint statement on Saturday, urging all stakeholders to exercise restraint and allow the electoral process to unfold peacefully.
The December 20 election experienced delays, leading to an extension of voting, which some opposition candidates and observers argue compromises the vote’s credibility. Five presidential candidates plan to hold a protest in the capital on December 27, citing alleged irregularities and the extension as evidence that the elections were a sham.
The Congo’s election commission, CENI, acknowledged delays on December 20 but denied that extending voting compromised the election’s credibility. Provisional election results are expected by December 31, determining whether incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi or one of his 18 challengers secured victory.
The election day was marked by a troubled campaign, with at least 19 people killed in election-related violence. The opposition and observers raised concerns about widespread issues enabling fraud, which CENI and the presidency denied. In a further setback, voting had not occurred in five small centers in eastern Lubero territory due to rain delaying the delivery of election materials; these areas are now expected to vote on Sunday if couriers can travel through the night.
