Challenges of the opposition for the presidential elections in the DRC
The upcoming presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo is already raising many questions and major challenges for the opposition. Faced with current President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, it seems essential for the opposition to present a single candidate in order to maximize their chances of victory.
However, this task promises to be complex. Each opposition candidate considers the presidential election as a personal call, an intimate vocation towards his people through his social project. How can these different projects converge to allow the emergence of a single, unifying candidate?
Martin Fayulu, president of the Commitment for Citizenship and Development (Ecidé), enjoys a certain lead thanks to his experience acquired during the previous presidential election. His fight for the truth of the ballot box allows him to hope to attract the disappointed of the Tshisekedi era and to register new voters. However, he must show flexibility and find a way out of the current crisis in order to convince voters. His relationship with the Catholic Church of Congo, which supported his candidacy in 2018, will also be decisive.
Moïse Katumbi Chapwe, for his part, succeeded in uniting several opposition parties within his “Together” movement. He thus took on the responsibility of leading these men and women to victory. However, there are questions about his legitimacy due to the legal difficulties surrounding his candidacy. Despite his popularity and his ability to attract crowds, he must propose a real political project that goes beyond simple criticism of the current governance and positions itself as a credible alternative.
For the opposition, the stakes are high. Finding a unique and unifying candidate is essential to maximize their chances of victory. This requires not only goodwill on the part of political actors, but also a clear political vision and the ability to convince voters