KINSHASA (Reuters) – Opposition leader Martin Fayulu of the Democratic Republic of Congo has confirmed that he will officially declare his candidacy for the December presidential election. Fayulu is expected to be one of the main contenders against President Felix Tshisekedi. In the controversial 2018 election, Fayulu finished second to Tshisekedi.
Fayulu’s party, the Engagement for Citizenship and Development party, along with the African Union and Congo’s influential Catholic Church, expressed doubts about the election outcome. Fayulu challenged the results in court. Since then, he has remained a vocal critic of Tshisekedi’s presidency. Initially, Fayulu had threatened to boycott the Dec. 20 ballot to protest against alleged fraud related to the voter list. However, he now believes that such a decision would have played into the hands of his opponents.
“Many preferred for me to stay away, the better to cheat,” Fayulu said during a news conference in Kinshasa, the capital. He announced that he will formally register his candidacy with the election commission on Oct. 4. In an effort to ensure transparency, his party is advocating for the announcement of election results by polling station, unlike the 2018 vote.
Fayulu stated, “We will continue to fight for transparency in the elections, and if we don’t have transparency in the electoral register, we will have it in the monitoring of the elections.”
President Tshisekedi, the son of Congo’s late opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, asserts that he won the 2018 election fairly. He promised to combat corruption and authoritarianism, rejecting accusations that he has fallen short on this goal. The ruling coalition is expected to officially endorse Tshisekedi as its presidential candidate in a ceremony on Sunday.
In response to criticism of the electoral list, Congo’s electoral body hired international experts in May to conduct a review, which concluded that the list is reliable. However, the United States, the European Union, and other Western powers have expressed concerns about the handling of the audit.
The lead-up to the elections has been tense, with opposition candidates complaining about delays and issues with the electoral process, which they argue disadvantage them. In May, security forces clashed with anti-government protesters who were demonstrating against alleged irregularities in voter registration, using tear gas and engaging in street battles.
(Reporting by Ange Kasongo Additional reporting by Justin Makangara; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
