Democratic Republic of Congo recently underwent presidential and legislative elections, but the events were marred by disruptions, allegations of fraud, violence, and logistical setbacks that hindered the participation of many voters.
The significance of these elections goes beyond the legitimacy of the next administration. Electoral disputes in Congo often lead to unrest with significant consequences. The country is a major producer of copper and cobalt, a crucial component for the green energy transition.
The national election commission (CENI) admitted that multiple polling stations opened late, leading to hundreds of people still waiting to vote when polls were scheduled to close at 5.00 p.m.
The CENI assured that all polling stations would remain open for the required 11 hours, but independent observers from religious and civil society groups raised concerns about the delays and other issues such as malfunctioning electronic voting systems and violent attacks.
Presidential candidate Martin Fayulu, who was the runner-up in the disputed 2018 presidential election, described the situation as “total chaos” and warned that if people didn’t vote in all polling stations indicated by the CENI, they would not accept the results of the election.
Incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi faces competition from 18 opposition candidates as he seeks a second term. The opposition has promised stability, peace, and economic development that they claim was absent during Tshisekedi’s first term.
As voting was nearing its scheduled end, presidential candidate Denis Mukwege released a statement condemning the “proliferation of serious dysfunction and irregularities,” expressing fears that the results would not reflect the will of the people.
The election day was marked by political violence and concerns from the opposition and observers, including issues with the voter list and illegible ID cards.
Despite the opposition’s allegations of mismanagement and fraud, the election commission has repeatedly rejected them. Polling stations in Goma and Beni opened late, and there were reports of difficulty in finding names on voter lists and malfunctioning of voting machines’ batteries running out.
The CENI president had previously warned about expected voting delays potentially requiring some people to vote after the scheduled day. The CENCO observer mission of Congo’s Catholic church has recommended the CENI clarify its plans, stating that such an extension would undermine the integrity of the results.
Provisional results are expected by Dec. 31, and the presidential election will be decided in a single round, requiring a simple majority of the vote to win.
Despite the challenges, some voters remained determined to exercise their rights, with one voter in Beni stating, “Even with night falling, I will wait.”
(Additional reporting by Sonia Rolley, Yassin Kombi, Fiston Mahamba, Erikas Mwisi Kambale and Crispin Kyala; Writing by Alessandra Prentice and Bate Felix; Editing by Alison Williams, Emelia Sithole-Matarise, Alex Richardson and Toby Chopra)
