Article: Martin Fayulu, Congolese opponent, announces his candidacy for the presidential election in December 2023
Congolese opponent Martin Fayulu announced this Saturday, September 30, his candidacy for the presidential election scheduled for December 2023 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This decision constitutes a turnaround for Martin Fayulu, who had initially boycotted the electoral process. However, following the pressing demand of the population, the Lamuka coalition, of which he is a member, decided to submit his candidacy.
Martin Fayulu thus hopes to be able to obtain more transparency in the organization of the elections. In particular, he requests that the results be announced by each polling station in order to allow better control. Since his defeat in 2018, the opponent claims that the victory was stolen from him and demands in-depth reform of the Congolese electoral system.
Martin Fayulu’s candidacy is causing a stir within his own coalition. Some executives are not in favor of his participation in the presidential race, given that they had initially boycotted the national and provincial legislative elections last July. Nevertheless, Martin Fayulu intends to work with the deputies who will be elected in order to be able to govern effectively.
This return of Martin Fayulu in the presidential race marks the return of a heavyweight in the Congolese opposition. In 2018, he was the candidate of the Lamuka coalition against the current president, Félix Tshisekedi. His candidacy also relaunches the debate on the need for the opposition to unite behind a single candidacy, in order to increase its chances of success.
It is also important to emphasize that Martin Fayulu’s decision risks causing tensions within his coalition. In fact, he had conditioned his participation on the audit of the electoral register, which prevented his lieutenants from participating in the legislative elections. Thus, his choice to finally present himself risks creating internal turmoil.
In conclusion, Martin Fayulu’s candidacy for the December 2023 presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo constitutes a turnaround for the Congolese opponent. He thus hopes to obtain more transparency in the organization of elections and intends to work with elected deputies to govern effectively. However, this decision raises tensions within his coalition and reignites the debate on the unity of the opposition.