“DRC’s Electoral Commission Invalidates Votes for 82 Candidates Due to Illegal Activities”

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"DRC's Electoral Commission Invalidates Votes for 82 Candidates Due to Illegal Activities"

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EN FRANCAIS!

KINSHASA — The Congolese election commission announced the invalidation of votes for 82 out of 101,000 candidates in the legislative and local polls held in December due to their involvement in alleged fraud and other issues that disrupted the general election. These candidates were contesting seats in national, provincial, and municipal assemblies, the results of which are yet to be released. The aftermath of the December 20 poll has led to a messy situation that could further destabilize the Democratic Republic of Congo, a leading producer of cobalt and the second-largest country in Africa.

In a statement released late on Friday, the CENI election committee did not address the presidential vote that took place on the same day, which resulted in a landslide victory for President Felix Tshisekedi. However, the opposition has contested the result, citing widespread electoral irregularities reported by their own monitors and independent observers.

The commission stated that it had initiated an inquiry after the polls to investigate “acts of violence, vandalism, and sabotage perpetrated by certain candidates against voters, their staff, their assets, and electoral materials.” As a result of this inquiry, 82 legislative candidacies were invalidated, and elections in two out of 484 constituencies were fully annulled. Additionally, 16 candidates were already excluded from the election due to local security issues. Among the 82 excluded candidates were four acting provincial governors and three government ministers.

The CENI’s actions are unlikely to satisfy the opposition, which accuses the commission of bias in favor of Tshisekedi and rejects its assertion that fraud and malpractice were limited and carried out by a few individuals.

The leading opposition presidential candidates have called on their supporters to protest. Electoral disputes often lead to unrest in the DRC, a country that has faced challenges due to decades of authoritarian rule, corruption, and a prolonged security crisis in its eastern provinces.

Both the CENI and the government maintain that the recent election was free and fair despite the reported irregularities, which included polling stations not opening on election day, violent incidents, malfunctioning voting machines, and other setbacks that led to an unscheduled extension of voting. The legal basis for this extension has been questioned by the main observer mission.

Tresor Kibangula, a political analyst at DRC’s Ebuteli research institute, expressed skepticism about the CENI’s latest statement, noting that it is difficult to believe that the irregularities sanctioned by the commission did not also affect the presidential election, especially considering that all the ballots were cast on the same day using the same electronic voting system. He emphasized the need to assess whether Tshisekedi’s victory was influenced by these widespread irregularities.

Let’s break it down:

The election commission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has canceled the votes for 82 out of 101,000 candidates in the legislative and local polls that took place in December. These cancellations were due to the involvement of these candidates in alleged fraud and other issues that disrupted the general election.

The affected candidates were running for positions in national, provincial, and municipal assemblies. The commission has not yet released the results of these elections, and the aftermath of the December 20 poll is causing further instability in the country.

The commission’s announcement, made on Friday, did not address the presidential vote that also occurred on the same day. This vote resulted in a landslide victory for President Felix Tshisekedi, but the opposition has contested the result, citing widespread electoral irregularities reported by their own monitors and independent observers.

The commission stated that it launched an inquiry after the polls to investigate “acts of violence, vandalism, and sabotage” committed by certain candidates against voters, election staff, and materials. As a result of this inquiry, 82 legislative candidacies were invalidated, and elections in two out of 484 constituencies were fully annulled. Additionally, 16 candidates were excluded from the election due to local security issues. Among the 82 excluded candidates were four acting provincial governors and three government ministers.

Despite these actions, the opposition remains dissatisfied, accusing the commission of bias in favor of Tshisekedi and rejecting its claims that fraud and malpractice were limited to a few individuals.

Leading opposition presidential candidates have called for protests. Electoral disputes often lead to unrest in the DRC, a country that has faced challenges due to decades of authoritarian rule, corruption, and a prolonged security crisis in its eastern provinces.

Both the commission and the government maintain that the recent election was free and fair despite reported irregularities, including polling stations not opening on election day, violent incidents, malfunctioning voting machines, and other setbacks that led to an unscheduled extension of voting. The legal basis for this extension has been questioned by the main observer mission.

Tresor Kibangula, a political analyst at DRC’s Ebuteli research institute, expressed skepticism about the commission’s latest statement. He noted that it is difficult to believe that the irregularities sanctioned by the commission did not also affect the presidential election, especially considering that all the ballots were cast on the same day using the same electronic voting system. He emphasized the need to assess whether Tshisekedi’s victory was influenced by these widespread irregularities.