2018 Democratic Republic Of The Congo General Election
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General elections were held in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
on 30 December 2018 to determine a successor to outgoing president
Joseph Kabila Joseph Kabila Kabange ( , ; born 4 June 1971) is a Congolese politician and former military officer who served as the fourth President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2001 to 2019. He took office ten days after the assassination o ...
, as well as for the 500 seats of the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
and the 715 elected seats of the 26 provincial assemblies.
Félix Tshisekedi Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo (; born 13 June 1963) is a Congolese politician who has served as the fifth president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, since 2019. He was the leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (Demo ...
of the
Union for Democracy and Social Progress The Union for Democracy and Social Progress (, UDPS) is a major political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Founded in 1982, amid the one-party rule of Mobutu Sese Seko and his Popular Movement of the Revolution, it is the co ...
won the presidency with 38.6% of the vote, defeating Martin Fayulu of the Dynamic of the Opposition and independent candidate
Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary (born 29 November 1960) is a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who was a presidential candidate in the December 2018 presidential elections in the country. He was selected following consultations wit ...
. Fayulu alleged that the vote was rigged against him by Tshisekedi and Kabila, challenging the result in the
Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ru ...
. Election observers, including the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, also cast doubt on the official result. Nonetheless, on 20 January the Court declared Tshisekedi the winner. Parties supporting Kabila won the majority of seats in the National Assembly. Tshisekedi was sworn in as the fifth
president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo The president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (, , Lingala: ''Mokonzi wa Republíki ya Kongó Demokratíki'') is the head of state of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Repu ...
on 24 January 2019, the first
peaceful transition of power A peaceful transition or transfer of power is a concept important to democracy, democratic governments in which the leadership of a government peacefully hands over control of government to a newly elected leadership. This may be after elections o ...
in the country since its independence from
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
in 1960. According to
the constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...
, the second and final term of President Kabila expired on 20 December 2016.DR Congo election: 17 dead in anti-Kabila protests
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
, 29 September 2016
General elections were originally scheduled for 27 November 2016, but were delayed with a promise to hold them by the end of 2017. This promise was subsequently broken, but after both international and internal pressure the elections were finally scheduled for 23 December 2018. They were, however, postponed for a week on 30 December 2018 due to a fire in the electoral commission's warehouse in Kinshasa destroying 8,000 electronic voting machines. Incumbent President Kabila was constitutionally ineligible for a third term. He and his party, the
People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy The People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (' or PPRD) is a political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the political structure established by the former president of the country, Joseph Kabila. In the 2006 general ...
, supported the candidacy of
Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary (born 29 November 1960) is a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who was a presidential candidate in the December 2018 presidential elections in the country. He was selected following consultations wit ...
, the former Minister of the Interior, who formally ran as an independent candidate. In opposition to Shadary's candidacy, seven opposition leaders, including
Jean-Pierre Bemba Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo (born 4 November 1962) is a Congolese politician and former rebel leader. He currently serves as the Deputy Prime Minister of Ministry of Transport and Channels of Communication, Transportation and Channels of Communicat ...
and
Moïse Katumbi Moïse Katumbi Chapwe (; born 28 December 1964) is a Congolese businessman and politician. He leads the Together for the Republic party. He was Governor of Katanga Province, located in the southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, fro ...
, nominated Martin Fayulu as their candidate for president. However,
Félix Tshisekedi Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo (; born 13 June 1963) is a Congolese politician who has served as the fifth president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, since 2019. He was the leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (Demo ...
and
Vital Kamerhe Vital Kamerhe Lwa Kanyiginyi Nkingi (born 4 March 1959) is a Congolese economist and politician, currently serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Economy and the leader of the Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC) party. He served as the President o ...
soon after broke this agreement and agreed that Tshisekedi should run for president while Kamerhe would serve as his campaign manager and become prime minister if he won. They also agreed that Tshisekedi and his party will back a candidate from Kamerhe's
Union for the Congolese Nation The Union for the Congolese Nation () is a political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was founded in 2010 by Vital Kamerhe, who was at the time a close ally of the former president Joseph Kabila. Kamerhe had previously served a ...
in the 2023 general election. Preliminary results were scheduled to be announced on 6 January 2019, with the final result on 15 January and the inauguration of the next president on 18 January.DR Congo election 'relatively well managed': SADC
Al Jazeera. Published 2 January 2019.
However, it was later announced on 5 January that the publication of preliminary results would be delayed, as less than half of the votes have been obtained by the
electoral commission An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
. On 10 January the commission declared Félix Tshisekedi, leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress opposition party, the winner of the election.Opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi wins DR Congo presidential poll, says electoral commission
France 24. Published 10 January 2019.
Martin Fayulu, who came in second, has claimed that the election was rigged and that he will challenge the result in the DRC's Constitutional Court. The country's influential Roman Catholic Church, which deployed 40,000 election monitors, has also said the official result does not align with its observations, which place Fayulu as the winner. On 12 January it became known that parties supporting Joseph Kabila won the majority of seats in the National Assembly.Tounsi, Samir (12 January 2019)

. Yahoo News.
The Constitutional Court announced on 14 January that it would review Fayulu's appeal of the result, and would make a ruling on 19 January. That day, the Constitutional Court rejected Fayulu's challenge of the election results and upheld Tshisekedi's victory. Fayulu claimed to be the "legitimate" president and called for protests.The Latest: Congo runner-up: Don't recognize Tshisekedi
ABC News. Published 19 January 2019.
DR Congo top court upholds Tshisekedi presidential election win
France24. Published 19 January 2019.
While Tshisekedi had won the election, parties aligned with Kabila secured a majority in the National Assembly and later in the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
during the March 2019 Senate election. Because of this Tshisekedi's ability to implement policies or appoint a new
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
were limited, and while negotiations have been ongoing to form a new government the President has been working with the former cabinet of Kabila. It was not until 20 May 2019 that he appointed Kabila ally and career bureaucrat Sylvestre Ilunga as his designate for prime minister. The parliamentary majority faction and President Tshisekedi came to an agreement on forming a new government by 27 July 2019, choosing the 65 members of the new cabinet. Out of those, 42 posts went to the Kabila-aligned Common Front for Congo candidates, while 23 went to the Heading for Change coalition (Tshisekedi's alliance).DRC coalition gov't to include 65 members
Xinhua, 30 July 2019
The new Ilunga government formally took office in late August 2019.


Background


Glissement


2014

From 2014, the question of whether Kabila would run for a third term and if elections were even going to be held, were the biggest political issues in the country. From 2015, this process of the government attempting to delay elections in order to hold on to power became known as ''glissement'' (sliding). While the Constitution explicitly limited the presidency to two terms and prohibited any amendments to extend this limit, discussions persisted throughout the year about various ways to prolong Kabila's rule, including potential constitutional revisions. Supporters and opponents of a third term were found within both the government and the opposition. Among the most vocal proponents of an extension were Evariste Boshab, the head of Kabila's
People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy The People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (' or PPRD) is a political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the political structure established by the former president of the country, Joseph Kabila. In the 2006 general ...
(PPRD), Monseigneur Marini Bodho, head of the Church of Christ in the Congo, and Minister of Transport and Channels of Communication Kin-Kiey Mulumba. While Senate President
Léon Kengo wa Dondo Léon Kengo wa Dondo (born Leon Lubicz; 22 May 1935) is a Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congolese politician who served as the "first state commissioner" (a title equivalent to prime minister) several times under Mobutu Sese Seko in Zaire, ...
and the Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (CENCO) openly opposed revisions to the constitution. Kabila himself never took a position but the reorganization in the military to allow for closer personal control over the armed forces, as well as the establishment of a government of national cohesion that stregenthened his Alliance of the Presidential Majority (AMP) coalition, while also giving the political opposition some high-ranking positions in an attempt to statify them, suggested he supported it, especially since all key positions related to the question of a third term for Kabila were filled by loyalists. In response to suggested revisions, the opposition launched a coalition under the slogan "Don't touch my constitution", organizing demonstration in Kinshasa that included the
Union for the Congolese Nation The Union for the Congolese Nation () is a political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was founded in 2010 by Vital Kamerhe, who was at the time a close ally of the former president Joseph Kabila. Kamerhe had previously served a ...
(UNC) and the
Union for Democracy and Social Progress The Union for Democracy and Social Progress (, UDPS) is a major political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Founded in 1982, amid the one-party rule of Mobutu Sese Seko and his Popular Movement of the Revolution, it is the co ...
(UDPS) on August 4 2014. Following the demonstrations, UNC General Secretary Jean-Bertrand Ewanga was arrested and sentenced to one year in prison for contempt of state institutions. The opposition expanded in September when approximately 650 Congolese NGOs signed a declaration against constitutional amendments, prompting further street protests. Tensions escalated after the
Independent National Electoral Commission Independent National Electoral Commission may refer to: *Independent National Electoral Commission (Burundi) *Independent National Electoral Commission (Democratic Republic of the Congo) *Independent National Electoral Commission (Guinea) The Inde ...
(CENI) released the first part of its electoral calendar on May 26, which lacked any mention of legislative and presidential elections, only local. Although the opposition had long urged the government to fulfill its 2006 promise of organizing local elections, they feared that holding them in 2015 would become an excuse to delay the national elections in 2016 due to financial and logistical challenges. Another controversy arose in November with the creation of the National Population Identification Office (ONIP), tasked with conducting a national census, a measure previously recommended in 2013. ONIP director Adolphe Lumanu estimated that the census would take one year and cost approximately $500 million, with Export–Import Bank of China financing the effort. The opposition was skeptical of this, arguing that logistical and financial hurdles could prolong the process for years, which they feared would be used as another justification to prolong the election process. Despite mounting concerns, Kabila sought to reassure critics and international partners, stating on December 15 that elections would proceed as planned for 27 November 2016 In January 2015, attempts to tie voter registration updates for the 2016 elections to a national census or other demographic data in an electoral bill were shot down by members of the AMP. However, additions that were made by the Senate to make explicit reference to the constitutional time frame as binding were also removed, thereby removing a stipulation that Kabila would have to leave office in 2016.


2015

Throughout 2015, speculation over election delays and Kabila's potential third term continued to dominate politics, causing mass protests in Kinshasa and other cities. While government spokesman Lambert Mende Omalanga repeatedly assured the public that Kabila would respect the Constitution, AMP spokesman André Alain Atundu stated on October 31 that holding credible elections under the current conditions was impossible and could be delayed by up to four years. The government quickly distanced itself from this claim but did not dismiss the need for a postponement. On February 16, the CENI set national elections for November 27 2016, with provincial and municipal elections scheduled for October 2015 and various local elections throughout 2016. On March 5, some AMP members issued an open letter urging Kabila to step down and expressing concerns over potential election delays. In mid-September, seven party leaders who had written the letter broke away from the AMP and formed a new opposition group known as the G7, which controlled around 80 seats in the National Assembly, roughly a third of AMP's majority. On September 14, the G7 published a second letter, accusing Kabila of deliberately sowing confusion to extend his rule. Shortly after, the seven parties were expelled from the AMP, and by late September, their ministers were dismissed from government. The G7 quickly became a key opposition force, announcing in October that it considered
Moïse Katumbi Moïse Katumbi Chapwe (; born 28 December 1964) is a Congolese businessman and politician. He leads the Together for the Republic party. He was Governor of Katanga Province, located in the southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, fro ...
, former governor of Katanga and, until recently, a close Kabila ally before his resignation from the PPRD on September 29, a potential opposition presidential candidate. Just before the end of Katumbi's term. Kabila's special advisor for good governance and the fight against corruption, Luzolo Bambi Lessa, requested an investigation into alleged fraud involving Katumbi and 19 other officials. Human rights activists denounced the move as politically motivated, warning of corruption trials being used as a tool against political opponents. The establishment of a
Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ru ...
in April, a body that could theoretically judge the president, while welcomed civil society activists, was questioned over its independence. This new court replaced the function of the Supreme Court of Justice in presidential elections, which had repeatedly come under criticism, particularly for its handling of the 2011 elections. In its first ruling on September 8, the Constitutional Court ruled that the electoral calendar set by the CENI was financially and politically unfeasible, a ruling that was heavily criticised. After the court ruling, the provincial and local elections originally scheduled for 25 October were scrapped without much comment from the government. On September 26, the press reported on a proposed law aimed at regulating referendums, introduced a few days earlier by two AMP MPs. While the government insisted that the legislation was merely intended to establish clear procedures for referendums as there was supposedly a legal loophole and that there were no immediate plans to hold one, the proposal sparked significant backlash from the opposition and civil society who once again saw it as another attempt by Kabila to make a consisutional change for a third term. Adding to the already turbulent electoral process, CENI President Apollinaire Malu Malu, a generally considered honest administrator who oversaw the widely regarded free and fair 2006 elections but was not involved in the controversial 2011 elections, and his deputy, André Mpungwe both resigned in October, citing health concerns and personal reasons respectively. Critics feared that pressures by Kabila were the true reason for their departure. Further resignations followed in early November when Chantal Ngoy Thite, CENI's treasurer and a member of a G7 party, stepped down. On November 16, Kabila appointed AMP affiliates to fill these positions, with Corneille Nangaa, a future rebel leader who would go on to claim he rigged the election, being appointed as the new CENI president. Facing mounting pressure, Kabila addressed the nation on November 28, calling for a national dialogue to ensure a peaceful electoral process. He announced a preparatory committee but provided no details on its composition or timeline. While he agreed to the possibility of an international mediator, he stated that intervention would occur only if major issues arose. His suggestion to consider a less costly electoral system raised opposition concerns that he aimed to amend the Constitution to allow an indirect presidential election, potentially enabling him to remain in power, similar to Angolan President
José Eduardo dos Santos José Eduardo Van-Dúnem dos Santos (; 28 August 1942 – 8 July 2022) was an Angolan politician and military officer who served as the second president of Angola from 1979 to 2017. As president, dos Santos was also the commander-in-chief of th ...
. Major opposition parties decried this effort as manipulation by the government, and so the talks failed. On December 19, opposition parties and civil society organizations formed the Citizen Front 2016. However, despite this collaboration, the opposition remained divided. Within the largest opposition party, the UDPS, internal conflicts were ongoing on whether to engage in dialogue and potentially join a future national unity government. Tshisekedi's son, Félix, and his supporters advocated for participation in talks, while many party officials and grassroots members remained deeply distrustful of Kabila's government and opposed any negotiations.


2016

Throughout the year, actors called for inclusive talks and various, partly overlapping, attempts at dialogue, with them being repeatedly rejected, boycotted, and re-started. Government actions such as police attacking opposition headquarters, tear gassing, arresting, and killing protesters further undermined the prospects for serious talks. On May 4, Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba launched an investigation into claims that Katumbi had hired foreign mercenaries, including US citizens, the same day that Katumbi made his candidacy official. Summoned to court in Lubumbashi days later, he appeared alongside several opposition figures. His court appearances over the following days sparked large protests, leading to clashes between his supporters and the police. On May 13, Katumbi was hospitalized due to tear gas exposure during the unrest. Five days later, an arrest warrant was issued against him, but he was granted leave from the country for medical treatment. Katumbi immediately departed for South Africa, remaining in exile while continuing his political activities. On June 22, he was sentenced in absentia to three years in prison and fined $6 million for real-estate fraud. An investigation by the CENCO into these convictions was leaked to the press on May 4 2017, confirming the political nature of the cases. In response, the government opened a third case against Katumbi on 13 May for alleged tax evasion. On May 11 2016, in a ruling that would become known as the ''glissement'' ruling, the constitutional court ruled that Kabila could remain president if elections did not take place within the limits of the constitutionally prescribed delay, a move seen by the opposition and observers as one to delay the elections. The oppositioin argued that an interim president should be installed after the expiration of Kabila's term on 19 December, with Denis Mukwege being thrown around as a possible name. On 30 July 2016, the voter registration process started, even though no one knew whether elections would actually take place. On 29 September 2016, the CENI announced that the elections would not be held until early 2018. On 1 October, the CENI stated that elections could not be held before the end of 2018. Also, in September, violent protests broke out against Kabila. In its aftermath, along with the summary proceedings against alleged demonstrators, organisers and financers of the unrest, arrest warrants were signed for at least nine leading politicians, including
Félix Tshisekedi Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo (; born 13 June 1963) is a Congolese politician who has served as the fifth president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, since 2019. He was the leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (Demo ...
. Due to the brutal suppression of the protests, ongoing talks between the government and opposition stalled, and Tshisekedi and Katumbi decided to withdraw completely. The Rassemblement, an opposition platform formed by the two, thereupon became known as the "radical" opposition rather than the "moderate" or "republican" opposition parties that resumed the talks with the government after the protests. The talks between the government and the moderate opposition parties concluded on 17 October, with the signing of an agreement that set presidential elections for April 2018 at the latest and proposed that Kabila remain president after the expiration of his mandate. A prime minister from the opposition was to lead a transitional government until the elections. The Rassemblement did not sign the agreement, but the mediator allowed for the addition of new parties to the agreement. The CENCO began to facilitate talks between the signatories and non-signatories.


Sylvester Agreement and aftermath

In the lead up to Kabila's term experation,
MONUSCO The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or MONUSCO (an acronym based on its French name ), is a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A planned withdraw ...
redeployed some of its troops from the eastern provinces to the capital in the expectation for unrest. When Kabila did not step down at midnight, opposition leaders called for demonstrations, accusing the president of carrying out a
coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
. In the clashes that followed, at least 20 people were killed and 50 were wounded in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Around 220 to 600 were arrested. On 22 December, the transitional government was finally installed with Samy Badibanga as prime minister, bypassing Vital Kamerhe, the leader of the UNC and an important figure within the moderate opposition. Badibanga had been a close ally of Etienne Tshisekedi before the 2011 elections, but after the results of those elections had been announced and Kabila was proclaimed the winner, Tshisekedi had called on his party members to boycott parliament. Badibanga, however, defied Tshiekedi and took his seat, becoming president of the UDPS parliamentary group. Under heavy pressure by CENCO, signatories and non-signatories to the 17 October agreement agreed to a new agreement on December 31, stating that presidential, legislative, and provincial elections should be organized before the end of 2017 and that Kabila would remain in office until then but was not allowed to run for another term. Until the end of March 2017, yet another transitional government was to be formed under the leadership of the opposition and was to be tasked with organising the transition process. The agreement also provided for a National Monitoring Council of the Agreement (CNSA), under the leadership of Etienne Tshisekedi, which would supervise the process and function as a platform for discussions. This agreement, later known as the Sylvester Agreement, after considerable international and domestic pressure, was accepted by Kabila, along with signatures from other opposition figures throughout 2017.


2017

Etienne Tshisekedi's leadership wouldn't last for long as he died on February 1, taking with him the opposition's capacity to mobilise the masses, leading to the opposition's disintegration. When Felix Tshisekedi was designated to lead the UDPS and Rassemblemen, some of his father's long-term companions contested the monarchist style of the succession, forming dissidant groups such as the Rassemblement Kasa-Vubu and several UDPS factions, many of whom were later allowed to become registered parties despite the law banning duplicate parties. Exploiting these divisions, Kabila was able to co-opt and integrate its members, appointing Rassemblement/UDPS dissident
Bruno Tshibala Bruno Tshibala Nzenze (born 20 February 1956) is a Congolese politician who served as Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2017 to 2019. Education He finished primary and secondary education in Lubumbashi and studied law ...
as prime minister even though there was a dispute over the nomination process. This selection technically fulfilled part of the Sylvester Agreement but also increased the fragmentation of the opposition. In response, the mainline Rassemblement called for mass demonstrations on 10 April. The turnout was low and soon turned into a general strike as the authorities banned public demonstrations and heavily deployed security forces. Given the high risks to their safety, opposition followers were discouraged from participating, with Felix Tshisekedi himself immediately leaving for Ethiopia after calling for the popular uprising. On 9 May, Prime Minister Tshibala presented his 59-member transitional government, made up mostly of members from the previous government, with some positions going to Rassemblement dissidants. The government further delayed the elections by withholding the election budget and conducting half-hearted voter registration. Citing alleged technical and logistical issues, central stakeholders repeatedly made tentative statements in order to test whether an additional extension would be accepted. On 9 May, Nangaa, stated that violence by Kamuina Nsapu fighters, who had alllegely looted six CENI offices and beheaded three election workers, were stalling the registration process in the
Kasai region Kasai or Kasaï may refer to: Places Congo * Congo-Kasaï, one of the four large provinces of Belgian Congo * Kasaï District, in the Kasai-Occidental province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo * Kasai Province, one of the provinces ...
. On 7 July, Nangaa announced in Paris that, due to the delays from the violence in the region, elections could not be organised before the end of the year. Later, on 10 October, Nangaa, once again citing the violence in the region, declared that elections could not take place before April 2019 as voter registration would have to take another three months, along with another 16 months that would be needed to organise the polls. Many saw this as an exaggeration and a political move by the CENI director. On 22 July, Kabila designated Joseph Olenghankoy, leader of the Rassemblement Kasa-Vubu, as the president CNSA, a position reserved for the leader of the Rasssemblement. Although officially made by parliament, this nomination was in violation of the agreement as it was done without the consensus of the opposition. On October 27, Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the UN, visited the DRC, where she met Kabila and opposition members, and demanded that elections take place in 2018. A week later, in what could be seen as a concession to Haley's demands, the CENI published a new calendar, setting the election date for 23 December 2018, something many observers criticised for legitimising the regime's delay tactic. There were also concerns that failure to implete the timetable would lead to the government delaying the elections once again, with opposition parties such as the UDPS, UNC, and
Movement for the Liberation of the Congo The Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (, or MLC) is a political party in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Formerly a rebel group operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo that fought the government throughout the Second Congo War, it ...
(MLC) each individually rejecting the calendar, reiterating their demands that President Kabila leave office by the end of the year. On the other hand, while highlighting the importance of its timely implementation, international bodies such as the UNSC and the AU accepted it. As it became clear that the extension granted by the Sylvester Agreement would expire without elections, a secular coordination committee associated with the CENCO called for nationwide protests on 31 December. Despite severe repression and direct threats, the protests drew tens of thousands of protesters, something not seen since the September 2016 unrest. In response, security forces used tear gas and live ammunition, even inside churches and parishes, resulting in at least eight deaths, 46 injuries, and the arrests of over 140 people, including priests and altar boys. The crackdown on peaceful demonstrators sparked widespread condemnation both domestically and internationally, including Cardinal
Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya (7 October 1939 – 11 July 2021) was a Congolese prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the Archbishop of Kinshasa from 2007 to 2018. He became a cardinal in 2010. He was widely recognized as a champion of peace, dialo ...
, the Archbishop of Kinshasa, whose remarks triggered a surge of online ridicule aimed at the government, reigniting political discussions throughout the nation.


2018

Throughout 2018, it became increasingly clear that glissement was coming to an end as the government was seemly preparing to actually hold elections, though not without concerns that Kabila might attempt to surprise and overrun an unprepared and divided opposition, either with a hastily organised vote or through electoral fraud. The CENI completed the registration of 46 million voters on January 31, an increase of 12%, sparking concerns over fictitious voters. An independent audit by the
Organisation internationale de la Francophonie The (OIF; sometimes shortened to ''La Francophonie'', , sometimes also called International Organisation of in English) is an international organization representing where there is a notable affiliation with French language and culture. ...
(OIF) on May 25 appeaed to show this with it reporting thaat 6.7 million voters had been registered without sufficient identification and that 400,000 voters would be underage at the time of elections, and that 1.2 million blank id cards had disappeared. The OIF recommended a publication of the provisional voter register, which ceni only started in September. The government pushed for the use of electronic voting machines despite significant financial and logistical obstacles, including the challenge of deploying 106,000 machines across the country, unreliable electricity in many areas, and the difficulties of introducing a new voting method to rural areas with low literacy rates. Many saw this push as an attempt to use the machines to falsify the vote, lowering trust with state institutions and the electoral process. To facilitate the elections and the subsequent transfer of power, parliament enacted several laws including a measure on May 4 to allocate parliamentary seats based on voter registration data, a June 5 decision barring members of the Congolese diaspora, many of whom were government critics, from participating in the election, and a July 17 provision granting former heads of state benefits such as immunity, lifelong security protection, and a special pension. According to the UN, a total of 47 people had been killed at protests against President Kabila during this period, which occurred throughout 2017 and into 2018. According to
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
, government security forces used live rounds to disperse crowds of opposition supporters throughout August 2018, stating that the total death toll by then since 2015 was 300 people. HRW also documented attempts by the Congolese government to persecute members of the opposition. In late December, the government further delayed voting in three cities until 31 March 2019. Those include Beni and
Butembo Butembo is a city in North Kivu, in the north eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on the Rwenzori graben and west of Virunga National Park. The city is an important commercial centre with large markets, a cathedral, multiple large hospitals, a ...
in
North Kivu North Kivu () is a Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital city is Goma. Spanning approximately 59,483 square kilometers with a population esti ...
province, due to the 2018 Ebola outbreak as well as the ongoing military conflict, and Yumbi in the western Mai-Ndombe province, where about 900 people were killed throughout December by inter-ethnic violence. This was criticized as these regions are known as opposition strongholds.


Electoral system

According to Article 71 of the DRC Constitution, the
President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo The president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (, , Lingala: ''Mokonzi wa Republíki ya Kongó Demokratíki'') is the head of state of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Repu ...
is elected by
plurality vote Plurality may refer to: Law and politics * Plurality decision, in a decision by a multi-member court, an opinion held by more judges than any other but not by an overall majority * Plurality (voting), when a candidate or proposition polls more ...
in one round. Article 72 specifies that the requirements to stand as a candidate for the presidency include being a Congolese citizen and at least thirty years old. Article 101 of the Constitution provides the basis for electing a National Assembly. The 500 members of the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
are elected by two methods; in 2018, 62 were elected from single-member constituencies using
first-past-the-post voting First-past-the-post (FPTP)—also called choose-one, first-preference plurality (FPP), or simply plurality—is a single-winner voting rule. Voters mark one candidate as their favorite, or first-preference, and the candidate with more first- ...
, and 438 were elected from multi-member constituencies by
open list Open list describes any variant of party-list proportional representation where voters have at least some influence on the order in which a Political party, party's candidates are elected. This is as opposed to closed list, in which party lists ...
proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to any electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to political divisions (Political party, political parties) amon ...
, with seats allocated using the
largest remainder method Party-list proportional representation Apportionment methods The quota or divide-and-rank methods make up a category of apportionment rules, i.e. algorithms for allocating seats in a legislative body among multiple groups (e.g. parties or f ...
. For the first time, electronic voting machines were used in a Congolese election. This has raised concerns about vote-rigging, particularly after a warehouse fire in Kinshasa destroyed 8,000 voting machines, which represent more than two-thirds of the voting machines that had been planned to be used in the city.


Candidates


Kabila's successor

On July 1, 2018, members of the AMP and moderate opposition groups launched a new coalition called the
Common Front for Congo The Common Front for Congo (; FCC), also known as the Kabila Coalition, is a parliamentary group within the parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that is predominantly made up of the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democra ...
(FFC), with Kabila at its head, to support a "sole candidate for the presidential elections running on the basis of a common programme". It was unclear whether Kabila himself would be the candidate, as he asked each party within the coalition to propose four candidates while retaining the authority to select the final nominee. A day before the deadline for candidate registration, on August 7, the FFC held a 24-hour meeting at Kabila's farm in Kingakati to select a successor. The meeting ended up with a controversial, yet "underwhelming" pick of close Kabila ally
Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary (born 29 November 1960) is a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who was a presidential candidate in the December 2018 presidential elections in the country. He was selected following consultations wit ...
, a man who was under EU sanctions, which was seen as a defiance to the international community. Shardy had previously been interior minister and was president of the PPRD, yet he was barely known by the public and lacked political capital. To most observers, his leadership would probably have been another Medvedev–Putin tandemocracy, where Kabila was the one actually calling the shots.


Search for a unified candidate

File:WO1A8131.tif, Katumbi in 2016 File:Jean-Pierre Bemba 2006, VOA.jpg, Bemba in 2006 File:Martin Fayulu Par Ezra Sierra © 2018 cropped.jpg, Fayulu in 2018 File:Vital Kamerhe Senate of Poland 01.JPG, Kamerhe in 2007 File:Adolphe Muzito - 2009.jpg, Muzito in 2009 File:Félix Tshisekedi - 2019 (cropped).jpg, Tshisekedi in 2019 File:Antipas Mbusa - 2007.jpg, Mbusa in 2007 File:Nzanga Mobutu.jpg, Nzanga Mobutu, son of
Mobutu Sese Seko Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa za Banga ( ; born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu; 14 October 1930 – 7 September 1997), often shortened to Mobutu Sese Seko or Mobutu and also known by his initials MSS, was a Congolese politician and military officer ...
, in 2010
In the lead up to the election, it became clear to major opposition figures that the only way to defeat Kabila was to unite behind a single candidate. The idea for a need for a unified candidate was already floating around in 2016, with Katumbi and others advocating for an opposition primary. Several initiatives were launched in 2018, and opposition meetings were held in
Kinshasa Kinshasa (; ; ), formerly named Léopoldville from 1881–1966 (), is the Capital city, capital and Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-grow ...
,
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
,
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
, and
Pretoria Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to the country. Pretoria strad ...
. These would prove fruitless, however, due to each party's traditional regionalism and the unwillingness of the opposition figures to set aside their personal ambitions for a greater cause. Rassemblement, having already suffered from splits, proved unable to survive even with a Felix Tshisekedi and Pierre Lumbi's co-chairmanship, with other opposition leaders leaving to form their own coalitions. One of these leaders, Katumbi, with several opposition parties, including those in the Alternation for the Republic and G7 coalitions, formed Together for Change on March 11 2018, designating Katumbi as their presidential candidate. The next day, Katumbi once again attempted to return to the country, this time to run. Members of the AMP attempted to stop this by stating that since he had dual citizenship, he couldn't run for office under the constitution, but since this would've affected other dual citizen AMP members, the government dropped this point and simply barred him from entering the country. When opposition leaders jointly requested that Katumbi be allowed to return and run, the government issued an international arrest warrant against him. On March 31, having consolidated his position in the UDPS, Felix Tshikendi was able to gain the nomination as party leader and presidential candidate within his faction of the UDPS, which was allowed to keep its original name by the CNSA. On July 13, 2006 presidential runnerup and MLC leader
Jean-Pierre Bemba Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo (born 4 November 1962) is a Congolese politician and former rebel leader. He currently serves as the Deputy Prime Minister of Ministry of Transport and Channels of Communication, Transportation and Channels of Communicat ...
, having been acquitted at the ICC of his war crime charge due to lack of evidence, while being ironically convicted for tampering at
The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...
, was nominated by his party for president. A month later, the CENI disqualified him for the witness tampering as it counted as corruption. With the disqualification of two major opposition leaders, it raised hopes that a unified candidate could emerge On 11 November 2018, after a multi-day conference in
Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
supported by Kofi Annan Foundation, the seven opposition leaders—Bemba, Martin Fayulu of the Dynamic of the Opposition (DO), Kamerhe, Katumbi,
Freddy Matungulu Mbuyamu Ilankir "Freddy" Matungulu (born January 4, 1955 Belgian Congo (DRC) is a Congolese economist. He was Minister of Finance of Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2001 to 2003. Biography Education Freddy Matungulu Mbuyamu Ilankir w ...
of Our Congo (CNB), former Prime Minister
Adolphe Muzito Adolphe Muzito (born 12 February 1957"DR Congo preside ...
, and Félix Tshisekedi—signed an agreement to form a political coalition named "Lamuka" to support their nominee Fayulu, a
dark horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person, team or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, that is unlikely to succeed but has a fighting chance, unlike the underdog who is exp ...
pick. The coalition also called on the CENI to take specific measures ahead of the election, including scrapping the use of electronic voting machines, cleaning up the electoral rolls, and easing political tensions to ensure free, transparent, inclusive, and peaceful elections. In response, rank and file supporters of the UDPS began violent protests in
Limete Limete is one of the 24 communes that are the administrative divisions of Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Location Limete is located south of the Pool Malebo between the mouths of the Funa and Ndjili riv ...
, the party's headquarters, with some even threatening to burn down the hq building. Similar protests by UNC supporters broke out in the
Stade des Martyrs The Pentacost Martyrs Stadium (French language, French: ''Stade des Martyrs de la Pentecôte'') (formerly known as Stade Kamanyola), or commonly referred to as the Stade des Martyrs, is a List of national stadiums, national multi-purpose stadium ...
. Succumbing to the pressure, both leaders withdrew their signatures in less than 24 hours, with Tshikendi claiming he had been tricked into voting for Fayulu and that his base wanted him to run for president instead. Later, on 23 November, in
Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...
, the leaders agreed to create the Heading for Change coalition and support Tshikendi as its presidential candidate. Lamuka was later joined by
Antipas Mbusa Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi (born November 15, 1959) is a politician and former rebel leader in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He leads the Forces for Renewal political party and was Minister of Decentralization and Urban and Regional Planning ...
and his Forces for Renewal (RCD/K-ML) on November 19, Jean-Philibert Mabaya and his Rainbow of Congo (ACC) on 3 December, and
Nzanga Mobutu Nzanga Mobutu (born 24 March 1970) is a Congolese politician. A son of the long-time President Mobutu Sese Seko, he served in the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2007 to 2011, initially as Minister of State for Agriculture ...
and his Zaire group, which included the
Union of Mobutist Democrats The Union of Mobutist Democrats (, UDEMO) is a political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is chaired by Nzanga Mobutu, a son of former Zairian president Mobutu Sese Seko. Founding It was founded by Nzanga Mobutu and his brothe ...
, on 8 December.


Others

In total, 21 candidates were approved for the presidential contest, and some 34,900 candidates were approved to run for the 500 national and 715 provincial assembly seats.Alia Chughtai, Hamza Mohamed (28 December 2018)
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Elections 2018
Al Jazeera.
The final list was published on 19 September.
12 August 2018.


Disqualified candidates

On 3 September, the Constitutional Court of the DRC upheld the national election commission's decision to ban six potential candidates from taking part in the election, including opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba.All six banned DR Congo vote candidates appeal
29 August 2018.
* Samy Badibanga, former prime minister. *
Jean-Pierre Bemba Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo (born 4 November 1962) is a Congolese politician and former rebel leader. He currently serves as the Deputy Prime Minister of Ministry of Transport and Channels of Communication, Transportation and Channels of Communicat ...
* Antoine Gizenga, 93-year-old former associate of
Patrice Lumumba Patrice Émery Lumumba ( ; born Isaïe Tasumbu Tawosa; 2 July 192517 January 1961) was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic o ...
and former prime minister of the DRC under Kabila. *
Moïse Katumbi Moïse Katumbi Chapwe (; born 28 December 1964) is a Congolese businessman and politician. He leads the Together for the Republic party. He was Governor of Katanga Province, located in the southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, fro ...
*
Adolphe Muzito Adolphe Muzito (born 12 February 1957"DR Congo preside ...
*
Bruno Tshibala Bruno Tshibala Nzenze (born 20 February 1956) is a Congolese politician who served as Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2017 to 2019. Education He finished primary and secondary education in Lubumbashi and studied law ...


Opinion polls

Opinion polling is rare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to poor roads and lack of electricity. Nevertheless, the Congo Research Group (CRG) released a poll in October 2016 of 7,545 respondents in the country's 26 provinces. The poll found that 33% would vote for Katumbi, 18% for Etienne Tshisekedi, and 7.8% for Kabila. A May 2017 poll of 7,500 respondents carried out by CRG/BERCI found that 38% would vote for Katumbi, 10% for Kabila, 5% each for Félix Tshisekedi,
Vital Kamerhe Vital Kamerhe Lwa Kanyiginyi Nkingi (born 4 March 1959) is a Congolese economist and politician, currently serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Economy and the leader of the Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC) party. He served as the President o ...
and
Jean-Pierre Bemba Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo (born 4 November 1962) is a Congolese politician and former rebel leader. He currently serves as the Deputy Prime Minister of Ministry of Transport and Channels of Communication, Transportation and Channels of Communicat ...
, 24% for other candidates, and 13% would not vote. A March 2018 poll carried out by the CRG showed Katumbi obtaining 26%, Tshisekedi with 14%,
Adolphe Muzito Adolphe Muzito (born 12 February 1957"DR Congo preside ...
and Kamerhe tied at 9%, Kabila with 7%, and Augustin Mataya Ponyo and Aubin Minaku with 3% each. A June 2018 Top Congo FM poll amongst opposition supporters showed Katumbi winning 54% of the opposition's vote, with Kamerhe at 34%, Bemba at 7%, and Tshisekedi at 5%. In October 2018, the Congo Research Group released a poll that showed Tshisekedi winning 36% of the overall vote, with Kamerhe winning 17%, Shadary winning 16%, and Fayulu winning 8%, with 5% undecided or not voting. The remaining votes went to minor candidates.


Post-voting process

On the afternoon of 31 December 2018, the NetBlocks internet observatory reported regional internet disruptions in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi and the subsequent loss of connectivity across the DRC. The signal of
Radio France Internationale Radio France Internationale, usually referred to as RFI, is the State media, state-owned international radio news network of France. With 59.5 million listeners in 2022, it is one of the most-listened-to international radio stations in the world ...
, the country's most popular news source, was also blocked with a spokesman stating that the restrictions were implemented by Congolese authorities to prevent the spread of "fictitious results" published on social media and maintain order. The following day, representatives of the U.S., European Union, Swiss and Canadian missions in Kinshasa urged the DRC to restore Internet access. On 2 January 2019, the
Southern African Development Community The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Goals The SADC's goal is to further regional socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and se ...
(SADC) and
African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...
(AU) observation missions stated that the voting went "relatively well" and was peaceful, despite the logistical problems in the DRC. The
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
in the DRC, which deployed 40,000 election observers, announced on 3 January that by their observations it was clear who the winner of the election was. A government spokesman condemned the Church's statement as "irresponsible and anarchic." Western diplomatic sources speaking with Church officials reported that they identified Martin Fayulu as the winner with 60% of the votes., However, Rev. Donatien Nshole, the church's secretary general, later retracted the church's allegations following a meeting with Kabila on 8 January, claiming that "we said there was a winner but we did not mention any name nor give any figures." Nshole also said that the church now would trust Kabila to lead any transition of power, claiming "he insisted on the fact that he wants to maintain peace and unity...we want the same." On 4 January, United States President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
deployed 80 U.S. troops to the nearby country of
Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...
to stand by in case violence broke in the DRC over the election results. On 9 January, the U.S. embassy in Kinshasa warned American citizens to leave the country due to possible election-related violence. On 5 January, election commission chairman Cornielle Nangaa announced that preliminary results would not be announced on the scheduled date of 6 January, as the commission had only received less than half of the ballots. The following day this was confirmed and no date was given for the publication of the preliminary results, which was criticized by members of the opposition. On 8 January, Kabila adviser Kikaya Bin Karubi denied an allegation made by two aides of Felix Tshisekedi which claimed that Tshisekedi was the presumed winner and that Kabila officials had been meeting with aides of Tshisekedi since the end of the election so Kabila would hand power to Tshisekedi.
Police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
in anti-riot gear were deployed in front of the electoral commission headquarters in Kinshasa on 9 January. That same day, South African President
Cyril Ramaphosa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African businessman and politician serving as the 5th and current President of South Africa since 2018. A former Anti-Apartheid Movement, anti-apartheid activist and trade union leade ...
and other members of SADC urged the Congolese government to finalize the results quickly.


Announcement of results

In the early morning of the following day, 10 January 2019, after reading the results of over 700 candidacies for provincial elections from across the country, the commission announced Felix Tshisekedi as the winner of the presidential vote. Barnabé Kikaya bin Karubi, an advisor to Joseph Kabila, had said that the President accepted the loss of the ruling party candidate Emmanuel Shadary. Tshisekedi vowed to become "the president of all DR Congolese." On 12 January, it became known that the majority of seats in the National Assembly were won by parties supporting Kabila. The Céni announced the names of the winning candidates, as well as the total of votes on the national level, but no further info. The announcement, initially scheduled for past the presidential election's appeal and oath, took place while the votes were still being compiled all over the country.DR Congo: Ruling coalition wins legislative majority
''Deutsche Welle''. 12 January 2019.


Results


President


National Assembly


Aftermath


Accusations of fraud

Second-place candidate Martin Fayulu claimed that the results were rigged later that day, stating "In
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, Jean-Pierre Bemba's victory was stolen, in
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
,
Étienne Tshisekedi Étienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba also Known as Tshisekedi The Father (14 December 1932 – 1 February 2017) was a Congolese politician and the leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), formerly the main opposition political pa ...
's victory was stolen. In 2018 victory won't be stolen from Martin Fayulu." He also said he believes that President-elect Félix Tshisekedi and President Joseph Kabila made a secret agreement. According to foreign diplomatic sources, the Catholic Church had claimed that Fayulu was the winner, and both the SADC and African Union observation missions had also believed him to have been the winner.The Latest: Opposition candidate Fayulu denounces results
Associated Press. Published 10 January 2019.
The Catholic Church in the DRC made a statement questioning the result as well, stating that it did not align with their findings. Tshisekedi denied making any power-sharing agreement with Kabila or his ruling party.DR Congo presidential election: Church questions results
BBC. Published 10 January 2019.
Fayulu told the BBC that he will challenge the result in the Constitutional Court. On 11 January, Fayulu claimed he received 62% of the vote and said he would challenge the result in the country's
Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ru ...
.DRC opposition candidate Fayulu to file election result challenge
Al Jazeera. Published 11 January 2019.
The Court could confirm Tshisekedi, order a recount, or cancel the results and call for new elections. But Fayulu admitted that he did not believe he would have any success, saying the court is "composed of Kabila's people." He also claimed that "Felix Tshisekedi has been nominated by Mr Kabila to perpetuate the Kabila regime. Because today the boss is Kabila." Tshisekedi's spokesman denied that there was any deal between them.DR Congo election: Defeated candidate vows legal challenge
BBC. Published 11 January 2019.
Fayulu officially filed a challenge to the results on 12 January. A joint investigation by the ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'' and
Radio France Internationale Radio France Internationale, usually referred to as RFI, is the State media, state-owned international radio news network of France. With 59.5 million listeners in 2022, it is one of the most-listened-to international radio stations in the world ...
appeared to reveal that massive fraud occurred during the election. FT claimed on 15 January that its analysis of two separate collections of voting data — one from an anonymous person close to Fayulu who said they had obtained it with the help of a whistleblower, representing about 86% of votes cast, and another from the
Episcopal Conference An episcopal conference, often also called a bishops’ conference or conference of bishops, is an official assembly of the bishops of the Catholic Church in a given territory. Episcopal conferences have long existed as informal entities. The fir ...
(CENCO), which represents all Congolese bishops and fielded 39,824 observers on election day — showed Fayulu as the clear winner of the election.Huge election fraud revealed in DR Congo
France24. Published 17 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
According to the Congo Research Group (CRG), the CENI leak was provided to several journalists by members of the opposition close to Fayulu, who all claimed they obtained it with the help of a whistleblower. At least one journalist claimed to have managed to contact the alleged source of the leak and the whistleblower's account was deemed credible. The CENCO leak was given to journalists from different sources within the organization. The CENI leak indicated that Fayulu received 59.42% of the vote, followed by Felix Tshisekedi with 18.97% and Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary with 18.54%. CENCO's tallies were 62.80%, 15.00%, and 17.99%, respectively. The two leaks were almost identical at both the national and provincial levels, with a correlation of 0.976 to 0.991 for each of the three leading candidates (1 would represent a perfect match). Nationally, despite the Catholic Church tallying less than half of the total votes, the differences between the respective candidates were less than 4%. In 22 provinces, the differences were less than 2%, although there were larger differences in four provinces: Tanganyika (+/-18%),
South Kivu South Kivu (; ) is one of Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital city, capital is Bukavu. Located within the East African Rift's western branch Albertine Rift, it is ...
(+/-9%),
Tshuapa Tshuapa is one of the 21 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo created in the Subdivisions of the DR Congo#New provinces, 2015 repartitioning. Tshuapa, Équateur Province, Équateur, Mongala, Nord-Ubangi, and Sud-Ubangi provinces are ...
(+/-5%), and
Maniema Maniema Province (''Jimbo la Maniema'', in Swahili) is one of 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Kindu. The 2020 population was estimated to be 2,856,300. Toponymy Henry Morton Stanley explored the area ...
(+/-4%). The CENI data was provided in a
comma-separated values Comma-separated values (CSV) is a text file format that uses commas to separate values, and newlines to separate records. A CSV file stores Table (information), tabular data (numbers and text) in plain text, where each line of the file typically r ...
(CSV) format and consisted of a total of 49,000 rows, including the number of each polling site, the names of the schools and institutions where voting took place, and the vote tallies for the presidential candidates. A data analyst from one of the media companies concluded that fabricating the entire dataset would have been extremely difficult without detection when using Benford's Law. Furthermore, the rapid fabrication of such data would have been challenging, as the names and numbers of the approximately 17,000 polling sites were only finalized on December 12. The CENCO data, however, did not provide information down to the polling site level. It is reasonable for the CENI to possess this kind of data as Article 69 of the CENI's measures for applying the electoral law requires results to be transmitted to the central CENI office by local technicians. This leak appears to have occurred several days before the CENI announced its official results, representing 86%, or approximately 15.7 million, of the 18.3 million votes cast. The remaining results may not have been immediately transmitted due to technical issues and had to be sent through other means. There is also the possibility that the CENCO and the opposition simply collaborated to create similar fake leaks. Whatever the case, only a comprehensive audit could've confirmed whether there was indeed massive fraud but as of 16 January 2019, the CENI has not published any disaggregated data beyond the national number of votes.


Protests

Four people—two police officers and two civilians—were killed in the western city of
Kikwit Kikwit is the largest city of Kwilu Province, lying on the Kwilu River in the southwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kikwit is also known in the region under the nickname "The Mother". The population is approximately 458,000 ( ...
during protests. The following day, 11 January, at least one protester was killed in
Goma Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the North Kivu, North Kivu Province; it is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu and shares borders with the Bukumu Chiefdo ...
. There were also reports of protests in
Kisangani Kisangani (), formerly Stanleyville (), is the capital of Tshopo, Tshopo Province, located on the Congo River in the eastern part of the central Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the country's fifth-most populous urban a ...
and
Mbandaka Mbandaka (, formerly known as Coquilhatville in French, or Coquilhatstad in Dutch) is a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo located near the confluence of the Congo and Ruki rivers. It is the capital of Équateur Province. The city was f ...
. More civilian and police casualties were reported as protests increased across the country, and thousands of
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
and
Republican Guard A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...
troops were deployed to maintain order. On 18 January, the UN human rights office has said that 34 people have been killed, 59 wounded, and 241 arbitrarily arrested since the announcement of the provisional results on 10 January.


International reactions

The governments of France and Belgium also issued statements questioning the official result. French Foreign Minister
Jean-Yves Le Drian Jean-Yves Le Drian (; born 30 June 1947) is a French politician who served as Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs in the governments of Prime Ministers Édouard Philippe and Jean Castex (2017–2022) and as Minister of Defence under Preside ...
claimed that Fayulu was expected to be declared the winner. Belgian Foreign Minister
Didier Reynders Didier Reynders (; born 6 August 1958) is a Belgian politician and a member of the Reformist Movement, Mouvement Réformateur (MR) that served as List of European Commissioners for Justice and Equality, European Commissioner for Justice until 30 ...
also doubted the result, saying that Belgium would use its temporary UN Security Council seat to investigate the situation. British Foreign Secretary
Jeremy Hunt Sir Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (born 1 November 1966) is a British politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2022 to 2024 and Foreign Secretary from 2018 to 2019, having previously served as Secretary of State for Health a ...
said he was "very concerned about discrepancies" in the results. In an official statement,
Secretary-General of the United Nations The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of ...
António Guterres António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres (born 30 April 1949) is a Portuguese politician and diplomat who is serving as the ninth and current secretary-general of the United Nations since 2017. A member of the Socialist Party (Portugal), ...
urged all parties to "refrain from violence" and "live up to their responsibility in preserving stability." African Union leader
Moussa Faki Moussa Faki Mahamat ('', ''; born 21 June 1960) is a Chadian politician and diplomat who was the Chairperson of the African Union Commission from 2017 to 2025. Previously he was Prime Minister of Chad from 24 June 2003 to 4 February 2005 and Min ...
said that any disputes should be "resolved peacefully, by turning to the relevant laws". The Southern African Development Community (SADC) called for the creation of a
national unity government A national unity government, government of national unity (GNU), or national union government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties (or all major parties) in the legislature, usually formed during a time of war or other na ...
in DR Congo, a negotiated settlement by factions representing Kabila, Tshisekedi, and Fayulu, on January 13. The organisation also called for a vote recount. The
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
issued a statement drafted by the French delegation urging all sides to respect the outcome of the vote on 15 January. Representatives of Russia and China stated that they oppose foreign interference in the DRC election. A number of African Union heads of state and government met in the Ethiopian capital
Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...
on 17 January, issuing a statement that the organization had "serious doubts" about the provisional results and calling on the Congolese government to delay the release of the final results. The AU also stated that it would send a delegation to the DRC with "the view to reaching a consensus on a way out of the post-electoral crisis."African Union calls on DRC to delay election announcement
''The Guardian''. Published 17 January 2019.
The delegation would include AU commission head Moussa Faki and AU chairman, the
President of Rwanda This article lists the presidents of Rwanda since the creation of the office in 1961 (during the Rwandan Revolution), to the present day. The president of Rwanda is the head of state and head of executive of the Republic of Rwanda. The presi ...
,
Paul Kagame Paul Kagame ( ; born 23 October 1957) is a Rwandan politician and former military officer who has been the President of Rwanda since 2000. He was previously a commander of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a rebel armed force which invaded ...
. The Congolese government rejected the AU's appeal to delay that announcement of the final results on 18 January, and that the announcement will be made after the Constitutional Court makes a decision. Government spokesman Lambert Mende stated that "I do not think anyone has the right to tell the court what to do. I am not under the impression (the AU) fully understands Congo's judicial process."DR Congo rejects African Union demands to delay election results amid concerns over 'rigged vote'
''The Telegraph''. Published 18 January 2019.
After the Constitutional Court ruling upholding Tshisekedi's victory on 20 January, Kenyan President
Uhuru Kenyatta Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta ( born 26 October 1961) is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. The son of Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first president, he previously served as Prime Minister of Kenya, Deputy Pri ...
and South Africa President
Cyril Ramaphosa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African businessman and politician serving as the 5th and current President of South Africa since 2018. A former Anti-Apartheid Movement, anti-apartheid activist and trade union leade ...
both sent their congratulations to Tshisekedi and recognized him as the next president.DR Congo election: African leaders congratulate Tshisekedi
BBC. Published 20 January 2019.
AU spokeswoman Ebba Kalondo also issued a statement revealing that the AU agreed to postpone the DRC delegation talks.The Latest: AU 'postpones' urgent trip to Congo over vote
Associated Press. Published 20 January 2019
African Union postpones Congo talks on contested election
Reuters. Published 20 January 2019
Kalondo claimed “I can confirm to you that the trip has been postponed. Not canceled.” Other African leaders, including Zimbabwe President
Emmerson Mnangagwa Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa ( , ; born 15 September 1942) is a Zimbabwean politician who has served as the president of Zimbabwe since 2017. A member of ZANU–PF and a longtime ally of former president Robert Mugabe, he held a series of cabin ...
and the leaders of Tanzania and Burundi, congratulated Tshisekdi for his victory and also recognized him as the next president as well. By January 22, the AU and EU had agreed to support Tshisekedi's Presidency as well. On January 23, the United States agreed to support the court's certification of Tshisekdi's victory and also work with the incoming DRC President's government as well.


Constitutional Court appeal

Fayulu officially filed a court case on 12 January. The Constitutional Court announced on Monday, 14 January, that it would review Fayulu's and another candidate, Theodore Ngoy's, appeal the following day.DR Congo court to examine election appeal from Tuesday
''The East African''. Published 14 January 2019.
Proceedings began on 15 January and armed riot police were deployed outside the Palace of Justice in Kinshasa. Lawyers representing Fayulu have said that the poll was rigged and have urged the Constitutional Court to order a recount. A decision is due to be made by the Court on 18 January or 19 January. The Court confirmed early on 19 January to
Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse (; AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency. With 2,400 employees of 100 nationalities, AFP has an editorial presence in 260 c ...
that the ruling would be made later that day. The Court ruling rejected appeals for a recount, with the verdict declaring Tshisekedi "President of the Democratic Republic of Congo by simple majority."Congo's Martin Fayulu declares himself president, top court sides with Felix Tshisekedi
''
Deutsche Welle (; "German Wave"), commonly shortened to DW (), is a German state-funded television network, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the Federal Government of Germany. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite tele ...
''. Published 20 January 2019.
Government spokesman Lambert Mende stated afterwards "Felix Tshisekedi will become the fifth president of the republic."DR Congo court upholds Tshisekedi presidential election win
BBC. Published 19 January 2019.
After the ruling Fayulu claimed to be the "only legitimate president" and has called for mass protests. In a statement he said "The constitutional court has just confirmed that it serves a dictatorial regime ... by validating false results, (and enabling) a constitutional coup d'etat." Fayulu also called on the international community to not recognize this result. Hundreds of Tshisekedi supporters gathered outside of the court building.


Post-court ruling

Following the ruling, on January 20 the government restored Internet access in the country, ending a 20-day shutdown of the Internet that began on 31 December 2018. On 21 January, the day after the Constitutional Court rejected Fayulu's appeal, it became known that Tshisekedi's scheduled inauguration date (22 January) may be delayed by two days until 24 January. It was announced later that the inauguration was postponed, though no official reason was given. Police dispersed a crowd of Fayulu supporters who had gathered to hear him speak in front of his coalition's headquarters. Nevertheless, the inauguration of Tshisekedi occurred on the rescheduled date of January 24, 2019. In a speech Tshisekedi at the Palais de la Nation in Kinshasa called for a "reconciled country," and stated that "We want to build a strong Congo, turned towards its development, in peace and security – a Congo for all in which everyone has a place." On 28 January the newly elected parliament began its first session. The overdue
election An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...
for the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
of the DRC occurred on 14 March 2019. Parties aligned with former president Kabila's Common Front for Congo (FCC) won a majority of Senate seats, giving them control of both the upper and lower house of the legislature and potentially making President Tshisekedi's attempts to reform the government more limited. The President's UPDS party won very few seats.DR Congo's Ruling Party Demonstrates After Senatorial Elections
News Ghana. Published 18 March 2019.
That same month elections took place for 23 provincial governors, most of them also won by FCC candidates.Tshisekedi seeks to assert authority over pro-Kabila governors
. Channel News Asia, 13 May 2019
Several months into the Tshisekedi administration, by the start of May 2019 the President had not yet appointed a prime minister or a new cabinet.DRC's Felix Tshisekedi still a president without a cabinet
Deutsche Welle, 3 May 2019
On 20 May, it was announced that Tshisekedi and Kabila had reached a deal, deciding to appoint the career civil servant and Kabila ally Sylvestre Ilunga as prime minister. Due to the pro-Kabila parties having the majority in parliament, they have the constitutional power to nominate the candidate for the head of government.DR Congo PM appointed under 'political agreement' with Kabila
. Yahoo News, 20 May 2019
DR Congo's Tshisekedi names new prime minister
France24, 20 May 2019
New DRC Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga is a political and professor
Radio France International, 21 May 2019
Experienced technocrat to head government of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Deutsche Welle, 21 May 2019
On July 27, 2019, more than six months after the election the President and the parliament came to an agreement on forming a new government, beginning Ilunga's formal nomination process for prime minister.DR Congo rivals forge government pact 7 months after polls
News24, 27 July 2019
Ilunga's new cabinet will include 65 members, of which 42 will go to FCC candidates. Notably, the ministries of Defense, Justice, and Finance will be controlled by the Kabila coalition.


References


External links

{{Authority control Democratic Republic of the Congo general election
General election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
Democratic Republic of the Congo general election
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo