Lubumbashi, the emblematic city of the province of Haut-Katanga, is at the heart of political news in the Democratic Republic of Congo. With no less than 889 candidates for only 14 seats, electoral competition promises to be fierce in this constituency.
The figures speak for themselves: on average, there are 63 candidates for a single seat to be filled. These data testify to the enthusiasm of politicians to conquer power in Lubumbashi.
Among the most prominent candidates are well-known political figures. The Governor of Haut-Katanga, Jacques Kyabula, is trying his luck for a seat in the national deputation. Elected under the label of the Common Front for Congo (FCC) in 2018, he has since taken the lead of Action for Rupture and Development (ARDév), a political party that has turned into a political grouping.
The Vice-Governor of Haut-Katanga, Jean-Claude Kamfwa, is also in the running for the legislative elections. Originally from Sakania, he chose to run in the constituency of Lubumbashi, thus showing his attachment to this city. It is presented under the banner of the Alliance for the advent of a prosperous and large Congo.
Some candidates are regulars on the political scene. This is the case of Nazem Hodroj Nazembe, a Lebanese naturalized Congolese who is running for the fourth time in the legislative elections.
But the competition is not limited to politicians already elected. New figures also emerge during these elections, showing the diversity of political actors in Lubumbashi.
With 2,804,173 voters, the province of Haut-Katanga has only 31 seats for all the electoral constituencies. The city of Lubumbashi, as the largest agglomeration in the province, is allocated 14 seats in the National Assembly.
Faced with this plethora of candidates, the contenders will have to redouble their efforts to convince the voters. The competition will be fierce and only a handful of candidates will manage to win a seat.
These legislative elections in Lubumbashi reflect the interest and commitment of political actors to conquer power and represent the population. However, it remains to be seen what the final results will be and which elected officials will have the privilege of sitting in the National Assembly.
We will closely follow the progress of these elections and will keep our readers informed of the results and political developments in Lubumbashi