The results of the general elections held on December 20 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been announced. The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) has provisionally declared 477 national deputy candidates elected, awaiting validation from the Constitutional Court.
Among these elected officials, we find 18 deputies from the political party Ensemble pour la République, founded by the opponent and former governor of Katanga, Moïse Katumbi. This represents a representation of 3.7% in the Lower House of Parliament.
It is interesting to note that of the 18 elected officials from Ensemble pour la République, only one comes from the province of Kinshasa, the capital. This is Christelle Vuanga, who is starting her second term after being elected in 2018. The party’s other candidates, such as Hervé Diakiese, Daniel Safu and Mike Mukebayi, failed to get elected.
The Ensemble pour la République party can also be pleased with its results in the province of Grand Katanga (formerly Katanga), a historic stronghold of Moïse Katumbi. In Haut-Katanga, the party won seven seats, with elected officials such as Clotilde Mutita (Lubumbashi city), John Yav (Likasi city) and Guyceta Kankonde (Sakania). In Lualaba, the party has four elected officials, while Tanganyika has two.
However, despite these results, it is the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS-Tshisekedi) which dominates the political landscape with 69 seats won. The Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC) of Vital Kamerhe occupies second place with 36 seats, ahead of the AFDC of Modeste Bahati Lukwebo with 35 seats.
These results reflect the diversity of the political landscape in the DRC, with a distribution of seats which offers representation to different political groups. We now have to wait for the final validation of the results by the Constitutional Court so that the elected deputies can take office and begin their legislative work in the service of the Congolese people.