Recent news in the Democratic Republic of Congo shows a major political upheaval. Indeed, the political family of Félix Tshisekedi managed to win the majority in the Lower House of Parliament, formerly controlled by his predecessor Joseph Kabila. This important victory was achieved thanks to the Sacred Union of the Nation, which now has more than 400 national deputies.
However, these provisional results are strongly contested by the political opposition, who are calling for the elections to be annulled, claiming that electoral fraud was committed. Martin Fayulu, unsuccessful presidential candidate in 2018 and 2023, accuses the president of the CENI (Independent National Electoral Commission), Denis Kadima, of having orchestrated this fraud.
According to the protesters, Félix Tshisekedi would have placed 7 members of the Sacred Union in the office of the CENI, which would have allowed his political family to win more than 400 seats in the National Assembly. These allegations of electoral fraud are unprecedented in the country’s electoral history, according to Prince Epenge, one of the communicators for Lamuka, the opposition coalition.
As part of these challenges, dissatisfied candidates have 8 days to refer the matter to the Constitutional Court. The CENI, for its part, specifies that protesters must provide evidence, such as minutes, to support their accusations.
This new political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo marks a major turning point, and the outcome of these protests and their possible legal actions could have a significant impact on the political future of the country.
It is important to emphasize that the veracity of these allegations of electoral fraud has yet to be established by the competent authorities, and that the article cited only reflects one point of view on the situation. The duty of every democracy is to guarantee free and fair elections, and it is up to the competent authorities to carry out a thorough investigation to shed light on these accusations. The final results of the elections and the decisions of the Constitutional Court will be essential to determine the legitimacy of the political actors present.