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2023 Democratic Republic of the Congo general election

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2023 Democratic Republic of the Congo general election

← 2018 20 December 2023 (2023-12-20) 2028 →
Presidential election
Registered41,738,628
Turnout42.65% (Decrease 4.92pp)
 
Nominee Félix Tshisekedi Moïse Katumbi
Party UDPS Ensemble
Alliance USN Congo ya Makasi
Popular vote 13,058,962 3,256,572
Percentage 73.47% 18.32%


President before election

Félix Tshisekedi
UDPS

Elected President

Félix Tshisekedi
UDPS

Legislative election

484 of the 500 seat National Assembly
251 seats needed for a majority
Prime Minister before Prime Minister after
Sama Lukonde
ACO (USN)
Judith Suminwa
UDPS (USN)

General elections were held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 20 December 2023. Combined elections were held for the President, 484 of the 500 members of the National Assembly, 700 of the 716 elected members of the 26 provincial assemblies, and for the first time under the new constitution, 951 members of a scaled down number of commune (municipal) councils. On election day, the Congolese government extended voting to 21 December for polling stations that had not opened on 20 December.[1][2] Agence France-Presse reported that some polling stations would open as late as 24 December.[3]

These elections were the first of the 4th election cycle under the 2006 constitution. Six more elections are scheduled to follow in 2024, five of which are indirect.

Elections were not organized in the territories of Kwamouth, Masisi, and Rutshuru due to ongoing armed conflict

Incumbent President Félix Tshisekedi was provisionally declared the winner on 31 December by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), winning about 73% of the vote.[4]

Background

[edit]

2018 electoral fraud

[edit]

President Félix Tshisekedi's election in 2018 was extremely controversial, with most independent observers, including the Catholic Church, believing that opposition candidate Martin Fayulu had actually won in a landslide. They believe that outgoing President Joseph Kabila, realising chosen successor candidate couldn't credibly win, struck a deal with Tshisekedi to make him president while Kabila governed jointly with him.[5]

According to Jacques Mukena, Senior Governance Researcher at Ebuteli Institute, the election will most likely not be completely free and fair, but believes Tshisekedi and the CENI are aware of the fact that they would be under closer scrutiny than in 2018 because more local and international observers would be watching. Additionally, candidates such as Delly Sesanga have already declared that they would believe the Catholic Church's opinion of who won the elections, not CENI's.[5]

According to the Crisis Group, there is a fear of a wider political crisis if losing candidates or their backers do not accept the presidential results. Any crisis, while not inevitable, could worsen the already dire situation in the east.[6]

On 20 November, Fayulu advocated for transparent and impartial elections, he insisted that the Congolese "must no longer accept someone stealing their victory."[7]

Insecurity

[edit]
Map of the M23 offensive with Goma on the north shore of Lake Kivu at the bottom

The Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered from almost constant conflict in the east for the past 30 years. More recently, violence surged in the region after a new rebellion by the M23 group, supported by Rwanda, caused much of the North Kivu province to be occupied by rebels. This upsurge in violence comes as MONUSCO is expected to begin its "accelerated" withdrawal, as requested by Tshisekedi, after an almost 25-year presence in the country.[8][9]

Due to this, two territories of the province will not be able to vote normally, but if Goma were to fall as it did in 2012, the whole process would be compromised.[8]

With the possibility of over a million voters being disenfranchised from instability, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has proposed sending a regional intervention force into eastern DRC to try to stabilise the area. The SADC Mission in the DRC was first proposed in May and was meant to go in by September but has been postponed, with its most recent summit concerning finance.[5]

According to the Institute for Security Studies, it's hard to imagine the mission could go in and suppress all of eastern DRC's many armed rebel groups in time to enfranchise those voters.[5]

Schedule

[edit]

Selected dates from the electoral calendar:[10][11]

  • 24 December 2022—17 March 2023: Voter registration.
  • 21 May 2023: Publication of registration statistics per electoral district—registration totals will determine the size of the provincial assemblies and of the local councils (commune, sector, and chiefdom councils). They are also used to apportion seats to electoral districts.
  • 23 May 2023—15 June 2023: Proportional allocation of seats to electoral districts based on voter registration numbers; drafted and passed as a law.
  • 26 June 2023—8 October 2023: Candidate registration.
    • 26 June—15 July (20 days): Candidates for the National Assembly.
    • 3 August—22 August (20 days): Candidates for provincial assemblies and commune councils.
    • 9 September–8 October (30 days): Candidates for president.
  • 19 November 2023—18 December 2023: Electoral campaigns.
    • 19 November: Start of 30 day campaigns for president, National Assembly, and provincial assemblies.
    • 4 December: Start of 15 day campaigns for commune councils.
  • 20 December 2023: Election day.
  • 20 January 2024: Presidential swearing in ceremony.

Electoral system

[edit]

Presidential election

[edit]

The president is elected by plurality voting in one round.[12] For the first time, some Congolese living abroad were able to vote in the presidential election. These were those living in Belgium, Canada, France, South Africa, and the United States.

National Assembly, provincial assembly, and commune council elections

[edit]

Electoral districts and seat allocation

[edit]

Except for the four National Assembly districts of Kinshasa, all electoral districts are simply administrative subdivisions of the country; the four exceptions are themselves groupings of administrative divisions of Kinshasa.

Contested electoral districts of the 2023 general election[13]
For the Districts are Total
in Provinces in Kinshasa Districts Seats Candidates[14]
National Assembly territoriesa and cities Kinshasa I-IVb 179 (64)c 484 c. 25,000
26 Provincial assemblies communes 199 (37) 700 c. 32,000
113 Commune councils communesd 113 (0) 951 c. 49,000
Notes: a) Postponed in the territories of Kwamouth, Masisi, and Rutshuru due to armed conflict. b) Kinshasa I: Lukunga, II: Funa, III: Mont-Amba, IV: Tshangu. c) Total single member districts in parentheses. d) Only the communes of Kinshasa and the 25 provincial capitals.

At the start of every five year election cycle voter registration takes place. The results for each province, including Kinshasa, are first used to proportionally distribute the 500 National Assembly seats and the 780 total seats of the provincial assemblies to the provinces. This determines the size of the provincial delegation in the National Assembly and the size of each provincial assembly. The second phase proportionally allocates provincial seats to each assembly district—in the case of the provincial assemblies, up to 10% of seats are reserved for the co-option of traditional leaders and are not allocated to an assembly district.

For the 2023 election, voter registration could not be carried out in some areas of the territories of Kwamouth, Masisi, and Rutshuru due to armed conflict. To deal with this, it was decided to postpone the elections in these territories, to reserve the same number of seats for these districts as they had in 2018, and to proportionally distribute the remaining seats to the other districts. The result was that only 484 National Assembly seats and 700 provincial assembly seats were to be contested.

Lumumbaville elected its first National Assembly deputy and its first deputy to the Provincial Assembly of Sankuru. This was the only new legislative district of the 2024-2028 legislature.[15]

In the case of a commune council election, the commune is the single multi-member electoral district with the number of members determined by the number of registered voters in the commune according to a fixed table.

Getting on the ballot

[edit]

Each candidate for these elections are part of a three-person ticket which includes candidates for first and second substitute. It is not unusual for a candidate to run for both a national and provincial assembly seat in which case they can keep but one and a substitute takes the other.

A new rule requires participating political parties and alliances to contest at least 60% of the seats up for renewal in an election. So for example, each party/alliance had to register at least 290 candidates to participate in the National Assembly election.[16]

Election method

[edit]

The method by which members are elected are different in districts having more than one seat, the most common case, from those that end up with only one seat.[17]

In multiple-member districts, members are elected by open list proportional representation, with seats assigned using the largest remainder method. Candidates who win more than half the vote in their district are automatically assigned a seat.[18] Otherwise, a party or independent candidate must meet an election threshold to qualify for seat assignment.[17] The election thresholds for the National Assembly, a provincial assembly, or a commune council are 1% of the vote nationally, 3% provincially, and 10% in the commune, respectively.[19]

In single member districts, members are elected using first-past-the-post voting.[17]

Candidates

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The 26 official presidential candidates were:[20]

Active up to election day

[edit]

Withdrew in favor of another candidate

[edit]

Opinion polls

[edit]

Opinion polling is rare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to poor roads and lack of electricity. Nevertheless, a survey conducted by GeoPoll Socio-Political Barometer in the second quarter of 2023 found that voters expressed significant discontent with the governance under Tshisekedi, assigning him a satisfaction rating of 49.7%. Despite this, the survey also suggested that Tshisekedi would secure a second term thanks in part to perceived improvements, such as his free education initiative, and partly due to a divided opposition.[5][25]

An earlier 2022 poll by the same group found unemployment and insecurity to be the most cited dysfunctional areas, closely followed by the state of the country's roads and rising prices. On the other hand, free education was found to be the most favorable policy.[26]

Conduct

[edit]

Pre-election violence

[edit]

While the lead-up to the election was generally calm, several violent incidents were reported. On 14 July 2023, Chérubin Okende Senga, spokesperson for ENSEMBLE and former transport minister, was fatally shot in Kinshasa. The murder, described by Katumbi as a "political assassination," led to legal action by Senga's relatives in Brussels, accusing the head of the DRC's military intelligence of involvement.[27][28] Later in the year, a Katumbi rally in Moanda was broken up by live rounds, injuring several people. The provincial government blamed Katumbi's guards, stating that they fired warning shots after the crowd grew rowdy. Katumbi blamed the police.[29]

Violent clashes between supporters of different parties were also observed across various provinces, with candidates facing death threats on the campaign trail. On November 4, suspected UDPS activists attacked the convoy of Martin Fayulu in Tshikapa, Kasai province. On November 7, UDPS supporters clashed with ENSEMBLE supporters at a rally in Kasumbalesa, followed by ransacking of the local UDPS headquarters by Ensemble supporters. On November 28, a truck belonging to the campaign team of Maniema Governor Afani Idrissa Mangala ran over and killed Dido Kakisingi, leader of ENSEMBLE's Maniema youth league, in Kindu. Before the incident, UDPS supporters had attempted to block Katumbi's convoy and threw stones at Kakisingi.[30] At least 19 deaths, including two candidates, have been attributed to election-related violence.[31]

Election preparations

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The CENI was reportedly woefully underprepared for the election. Due to the state of the country's roads compared to its size and the lack of funding, the CENI was forced to resort to doing almost everything via plane. As transporting by air is costly, the CENI had to get Egypt to send two C-130 Hercules planes to help deliver ballot papers at the last moment. Additionally, the CENI begged the UN to use its aircraft.[32]

Election day

[edit]

On election day voting offices were scheduled to open at 6 AM, but delays were observed nationwide, resulting in the formation of exceptionally long lines. Various logistical issues further compounded the situation, including the late arrival of materials, malfunctioning voting machines, failed batteries intended to sustain their operation, and instances of lost ballot papers. This prolonged waiting period reportedly led to frustration among poorly informed and/or impatient individuals, resulting in attacks on poll workers and polling stations. Additionally, 11,000 voting stations didn't even vote at all or were not counted.[32]

According to Schadrack Mukad, an adjunct executive national secretary of the Civil Society Organization for Peace in Congo, which deployed 75,000 observers during the vote, "there were cases of machines that were seized by certain candidates and others by certain agents of the CENI outside voting places.” He expressed concern about the involvement of certain politico-administrative authorities and electoral candidates, who he says diverted CENI agents away from polling stations for a significant duration. Mukad attributed these violations to members affiliated with Tshisekedi's coalition.[32]

Controversially, the election necessitated an extension into a second day, a move which was declared illegal by local observers and civil society, and parts of the country were still casting ballots five days after election day.[33]

The CENI recognised cases of fraud, vandalism and intimidation, as well as the use of illegal voting machines.[33]

Analysis

[edit]

According to Nicolas Niarchos, in his piece for The New York Review of Books, the CENI's polling station data, "although impressive in detail", showed "strange" results. In the Fayulu stronghold of Kinshasa, for example, only 1,756,303 votes were counted–just ten percent of the capital's population.[32]

Tafi Mhaka, in an opinion piece for Aljazeera, described the elections as "shambolic," calling for the Southern African Development Community to uphold electoral standards in every single member country.[34]

Alternatively, Albert Kasanda, in his piece for The Conversation, partially attributes the opposition's failure to unite behind a single candidate and their campaign strategies, compared to Tshisekedi, who had the backing of major political figures which provided him a broad territorial network and a foothold in various regions of the country.[35]

Results

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President

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CandidatePartyVotes%
Félix TshisekediUnion for Democracy and Social Progress13,058,96273.47
Moïse KatumbiTogether for the Republic3,256,57218.32
Martin FayuluCommitment to Citizenship and Development875,3364.92
Adolphe MuzitoNew Momentum200,8001.13
Soborabo Radjabho TebabhoCongolese United for Change70,0990.39
Denis MukwegeIndependent39,6390.22
Aggrey Ngalasi KurisiniIndependent37,2010.21
Constant Mutamba [fr]Revolutionary Progressive Dynamic36,1970.20
Jean-Claude BaendeIndependent25,5840.14
Delly SesangaFlight17,7850.10
Loli Nkema Liloo BokonziIndependent17,0460.10
Patrice Majondo MwambaIndependent15,7930.09
Marie-Josée IfokuIndependent15,2660.09
Matata Ponyo MaponLeadership and Governance for Development14,1810.08
André Masalu AneduIndependent13,9740.08
Floribert AnzuluniIndependent13,7070.08
Noël TshianiIndependent9,2760.05
Seth KikuniIndependent8,6210.05
Justin Mudekereza BisimwaIndependent7,5730.04
Joëlle Bile Batali [fr]Independent6,9110.04
Franck Diongo [fr]Progressive Lumumbist Movement6,7800.04
Tony Bolamba [fr]Independent6,3070.04
Rex Kazadi KandaIndependent5,7570.03
Georges Buse FalayIndependent5,2880.03
Enoch NgilaIndependent5,1560.03
Théodore NgoyIndependent4,1320.02
Total17,773,943100.00
Valid votes17,773,94399.85
Invalid/blank votes26,2520.15
Total votes17,800,195100.00
Registered voters/turnout41,738,62842.65
Source: CENI[36] as amended by the Constitutional Court[37]

National Assembly

[edit]

Although the provisional results of the legislative elections were due on 3 January 2024, they were postponed for 10 days due to the fraud and irregularities denounced by CENI.[38]

According to the provisional results, 44 parties and/or political groupings have reached the representativeness threshold and should therefore have seats in the National Assembly.[39] The Independent National Electoral Commission has published the names of 477 of the 500 deputies, pending the results from constituencies where unrest and violence were recorded. This includes 177 constituencies, as the results of Masimanimba in Kwilu and Yakoma in Nord-Ubangi were annulled for fraud, and in the territories of Masisi and Rutshuru in North Kivu and Kwamouth in Maï-Ndombe, elections were not held due to the activism of armed groups.[39][40][41]

After CENI invalidated 82 candidates, the ruling UDPS/Tshisekedi party won the most seats, giving President Félix Tshisekedi a comfortable parliamentary majority.

Matata Ponyo Mapon, Constant Mutamba, Jean-Claude Baende and Adophe Muzito, who also stood in the presidential election, were elected in Kindu, Lubao, Mbandaka and Kikwit respectively, while a large number of the president's allies, including the two presidents of the houses of parliament: Christophe Mboso and Bahati Lukuebo, Prime Minister Sama Lukonde, and the candidate deputy prime ministers Vital Kamerhe, Jean-Pierre Lihau and Christophe Lutundula, won their seats once again.[42][43]


Provisional Results
Party AbbreviationVotes%Seats+/–
Union for Democracy and Social Progress1,664,0499.2669+37
Allied ActionsUnion for the Congolese Nation903,9285.0335+19
Alliance of Democratic Forces of Congo890,7534.9635–6
Agissons and Buildings752,5594.1926
Allied ActionsAll for the Development of Congo692,4913.8521
Alliance of actors attached to the people649,2263.6121
Alliance bloc 50546,0793.0420
Movement for the Liberation of the Congo471,3752.6219–3
Together for the Republic497,0092.7618New
Alliance for the Advent of a Prosperous and Greater Congo532,0662.9616
Alternative Action of Actors for the Love of Congo392,1402.1816
Alliance 2024443,8592.4715
It's up to us to build the Congo379,1352.1113
Congo Allied Action for the Convention390,1612.1710
Coalition of Democrats431,0282.409
Actions of the Allies of the Convention for the Republic and Democracy320,3701.789
Alliance of Progressive Congolese and Allies260,3921.459
Alliance for Democratic Alternation and Allies336,8131.878
Action for National Unity239,9691.338
Audible Actions for Good Governance191,0561.068
Alliance for Values330,8131.847
Alliance for the Triple and Allies305,7281.707
Allied Action for the Rise of the Congo284,2051.587
Alliance of Nationalists277,4601.547
Actions of Convention AlliesUnified Lumumbist Party215,8771.207–10
Alliance for the Solidarity Movement for Change291,2261.626
Alliances of Unified and Allied Tshisekedists287,9961.606
Avançons-MS202,7501.135+4
Another Vision of Congo and Allies187,3581.045
Alliance and Action for the Rule of Law258,2551.444
Political and Social Forces Allied to the UDPS206,7211.154
Christian Alternative for Congo190,6061.064
Alliance 2025232,6481.293
Alternative Vital Kamerhe 2018200,8991.123
New Momentum179,8701.003
Dynamique Progressive Revolutionnaire179,8341.003
UDPSKIBASSA–A180,0541.002+2
Alliance of Political Parties Allied to the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo179,9291.002
Alliance for the Reform of the Republic179,8771.002
Action for the Federative Cause179,8471.002
Alliance for the Growth and Democracy of Congo221,8691.231
Alliance for Development Actions in Congo191,0531.061
Leadership and Governance for Development75,9440.421
Alliance of Elites in the Service of the People and Allies179,9531.000
Allied Action for the Love of the Republic/Convention for the Republic179,8511.000
Other parties and independents1,591,4708.850 
Annulled districts7+7
Total17,976,551100.00484–16
Valid votes17,976,55195.55
Invalid votes748,0793.98
Blank votes88,8390.47
Total votes18,813,469100.00
Source: CENI[44][45]

Provincial assemblies

[edit]
Combined Provisional Results
Party AbbreviationVotes%Seats+/–
UDPS/TSHISEKEDI10259
AFDC-A [fr]66-2
A/A-UNC48
2A/TDC39
AB34
AACPG30
MLC296
ANB26
ENSEMBLE23
4AC21
A/B5018
A2417
CDER17
AAAP16
ACP-A14
AAD-A10
AEDC-A10
AAeC10
AAC/PALU9
A3A8
APA/MLC8
ARDEV-A8
A257
AV7
AA/C7
FPAU7
A/VK20186
AN6
A2R6
AVC-A6
ATUA5
APCF5
A15
AACRD4
ALTERNANCE4
AAAD4
AMSC3
A73
1A/A3
CRP3
NOU.EL3
AE2
AABG2
AUN2
AADC-A2
ALDEC2
AVANCONS-MS2
CODE2
AAAVC2
MSL2
DTC2
ADCN2
ASOD2
AESPA1
AAAR/CRD1
LP1
DYPRO1
ART&A1
LGD1
ACSCO1
Other parties and
independants
0 
Annulled12 
Total700-15
Valid votes17,960,91099.53
Invalid/blank votes84,4380.47
Total votes18,045,348100.00
Registered voters/turnout41,738,62843.23
Source: CENI[46][47][48]
Party composition of each provincial assembly (provisional)
Province Elected seats
Total V Party
Bas-Uele 17 AAeC UDPS/T. A1 MLC 2A/TDC AB AFDC-A ANB ENSEM.
5 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
Equateur 19 FPAU AFDC-A CDER AB APA/MLC MLC AAAP DYPRO UDPS/T.
4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1
Haut-Katanga 44 ENSEM. UDPS/T. 2A/TDC ARDEV-A AB 1A/A
11 10 8 8 4 3
Haut-Lomami 24 AB AFDC-A ANB ENSEM. UDPS/T. AAAP ALDEC AUN ALTER. AMSC
4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1
Haut-Uele 18 A/A-UNC A1 A24 UDPS/T. 2A/TDC A/VK2018 A/B50
4 3 3 3 2 2 1
Ituri 43 A/B50 AACPG A/A-UNC AFDC-A 4AC A2R MLC UDPS/T. AAeC MSL
7 6 5 5 4 4 4 4 2 2
Kasai 30 UDPS/T. A/A-UNC AFDC-A 2A/TDC AACPG A2R A3A APCF DTC ACSCO
6 5 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 1
Kasai Central 31 UDPS/T. A3A 2A/TDC AFDC-A A/A-UNC AACPG APCF ATUA
6 5 4 4 3 3 3 3
Kasai Oriental 22 UDPS/T. 4AC A24 AFDC-A AADC-A AV 2A/TDC
8 3 3 3 2 2 1
Kinshasa 44 UDPS/T. ACP-A 4AC AFDC-A MLC ANB AACPG
14 9 6 6 6 2 1
Kongo Central 36 A/A-UNC AVC-A UDPS/T. AFDC-A CDER AB AV AAAP
8 6 6 4 4 3 3 2
Kwango 22 AAC/PALU AACRD AB UDPS/T. 4AC AAD-A AFDC-A A25 AAAR/CRD AEDC-A CDER
3 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
Kwilu 43 8 AACPG AAC/PALU AA/C ANB AFDC-A 2A/TDC NOU.EL AV
7 6 5 5 4 3 3 2
Lomami 25 2A/TDC AACPG 4AC AFDC-A UDPS/T. A24 ACP-A ATUA A3A AMSC
4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1
Lualaba 22 A24 A25 ENSEM. A/A-UNC ALTER. UDPS/T. AN ART&A AVAN.-MS
4 4 4 3 2 2 1 1 1
Mai-Ndombe 17 2 AAAP AAeC ACP-A 2A/TDC ADCN AFDC-A UDPS/T.
5 3 3 1 1 1 1
Maniema 20 AACPG A24 UDPS/T. A/A-UNC ENSEM. A25 AAAP AACRD AB LGD
5 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
Mongala 18 MLC UDPS/T. FPAU A/A-UNC AA/C A24 A25 CDER
4 4 3 2 2 1 1 1
Nord-Kivu 44 14 A/B50 AAD-A AB CRP UDPS/T. A/A-UNC AAAVC AEDC-A CODE AMSC
7 5 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1
Nord-Ubangi 17 4 2A/TDC AFDC-A CDER MLC A/A-UNC ADCN AESPA ASOD UDPS/T.
2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
Sankuru 23 2A/TDC UDPS/T. AB ANB A/A-UNC AAAP AE A/VK2018 AAD-A AFDC-A
4 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1
Sud-Kivu 44 A/A-UNC AFDC-A UDPS/T. 2A/TDC AEDC-A AN A/B50 A/VK2018 AAAP
8 8 7 4 4 4 3 3 3
Sud-Ubangi 26 CDER AFDC-A APA/MLC ANB LP MLC AB UDPS/T. ASOD AACPG
6 2 4 4 1 4 2 1 1 1
Tanganyika 23 AFDC-A 4AC AB 2A/TDC AABG ANB ENSEM. UDPS/T. ALTER. AVAN.-MS
5 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1
Tshopo 27 AFDC-A AAAD ANB MLC A/A-UNC AEDC-A UDPS/T. A7
5 4 4 4 3 3 3 1
Tshuapa 17 AB A7 AAD-A ANB APA/MLC A24 AN MLC UDPS/T.
5 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
Total 716 28
Source: CENI[46][47]

Aftermath

[edit]

On 6 January 2024, Katumbi released a statement disputing the results of the election on the grounds of "massive fraud and treachery" and calling for the resignation of Denis Kadima, the head of the Independent National Electoral Commission. Two days later, his party stated that he had been placed under house arrest, with a spokesman reporting the presence of "heavily armed soldiers traveling in armoured vehicles surrounding his house".[49] The security forces were subsequently ordered to withdraw by the provincial governor Jacques Kyabula Katwe.[50]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Rolley, Sonia; Kombi, Yassin; Erikas, Fiston Mahamba; Kambale, Mwisi; Kyala, Crispin; Bashizi, Arlette; Prentice, Alessandra; Felix, Bate (20 December 2023). Richardson, Alex; Chopra, Toby; Maler, Sandra; Wallis, Daniel (eds.). "Congo extends chaotic election as opposition calls for rerun". Reuters. Kinshasa and Goma. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Voting extends to 2nd day in Congo elections amid fraud claims". Anadolu Ajansi. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Calls for restraint in DR Congo after tense vote". France 24. AFP. 23 December 2023. Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  4. ^ "DR Congo election: President Felix Tshisekedi declared landslide winner". BBC. 31 December 2023. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Is DRC heading for another chaotic election?". ISS Africa. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Elections in DR Congo: Reducing the Risk of Violence". www.crisisgroup.org. 30 October 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Martin Fayulu à Bagata : " Nous allons avoir une armée de 500 000 personnes bien formées et bien équipée "". Radio Okapi (in French). 21 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  8. ^ a b "DRC: campaigning for presidential elections officially launched". Africanews. 19 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  9. ^ "DR Congo faces logistical, security challenges before pivotal December poll". France 24. 16 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  10. ^ CENI. "Synthese du Calendrier des Activites Electorales" (PDF) (in French). Radio Okapi. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  11. ^ CENI. "Calendrier des Activites Electorales" (PDF) (in French). Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  12. ^ "Constitution de la Republique Democratique du Congo" [The Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo] (PDF). LEGANET.CD (in French). 20 January 2011. Article 71. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 February 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  13. ^ Tabulated from the lists of candidates for the National Assembly, the provincial assemblies, and the commune councils available at the CENI website Archived 5 January 2024 at the Wayback Machine. See for example the list of provincial deputy candidates of Tshuapa province Archived 28 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ^ Glez, Damien (3 January 2023). "Élections en RDC : pas de " glissement ", mais des reports". Jeune Afrique (in French). Archived from the original on 3 January 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
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  16. ^ "RDC: plus de 20.000 candidatures pour 484 sièges à l'Assemblée". Le360 Afrique (in French). with AFP. 11 August 2023. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  17. ^ a b c "Elections 2023 : 688 candidats élus provisoirement députés provinciaux (CENI)". Radio Okapi (in French). 22 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  18. ^ "RDC: Carole Agito, Matata Ponyo et Sakombi Molendo parmi les députés les mieux élus". Actualite.cd (in French). 14 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  19. ^ "Pour obtenir un siège dans les assemblées, le nombre de voix ne suffit pas". Studio Hirondelle-RDC (in French). 9 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  20. ^ "Présidentielle 2023 : la Cour constitutionnelle valide 2 nouvelles candidatures". Radio Okapi (in French). 30 October 2023. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  21. ^ a b "Elections 2023 : après Matata et Kikuni, Franck Diongo se rallie à Moïse Katumbi". Radio Okapi (in French). 20 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  22. ^ "Présidentielle 2023 : Matata Ponyo se retire au profit de Moïse Katumbi". Radio Okapi (in French). 19 November 2023. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  23. ^ "Présidentielle 2023 : le candidat Delly Sessanga rallie Moise Katumbi". Radio Okapi (in French). 3 December 2023. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  24. ^ a b c "Campagne électorale en RDC : désistement de 7 candidats président en un mois". Radio Okapi (in French). 18 December 2023. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  25. ^ Kibuacha, Frankline (23 August 2023). "The GeoPoll Socio-Political Barometer Survey DRC - Q2 2023 Report". GeoPoll. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  26. ^ Angus-Hammond, Matt (23 December 2022). "Democratic Republic of the Congo - The GeoPoll Socio-Political Barometer Survey - Report Preview". GeoPoll. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  27. ^ "La Prospérité : " Chérubin Okende : les Evêques catholiques exigent la tête de Caïn ! "". Radio Okapi (in French). 14 July 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  28. ^ "Relatives of slain Congolese politician file suit in Belgium against Intelligence chief". The Brussels Times. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  29. ^ Christensen, Sofia; Kasongo, Ange. "Congo opposition candidate suspends presidential campaign after violence". Reuters.
  30. ^ "RD Congo : Les violences électorales menacent le déroulement du scrutin - Democratic Republic of the Congo | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  31. ^ "Carter Center preliminary statement on the Democratic Republic of the Congo general elections - Democratic Republic of the Congo | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  32. ^ a b c d Niarchos, Nicolas. "'A Simulacrum of Elections' | Nicolas Niarchos". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  33. ^ a b "DR Congo's President Tshisekedi sworn in for second term amid disputes". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  34. ^ Mhaka, Tafi. "DR Congo's shambolic election should be a wake-up call for the SADC". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  35. ^ Kasanda, Albert (17 January 2024). "DR Congo's election – the key to Félix Tshisekedi's victory". The Conversation. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  36. ^ "Résultats des élections combinées du 20 décembre 2023" [Results of the combined elections of 20 December 2023] (in French). CENI. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  37. ^ Audience publique du 09 janvier 2024 – Contentieux des résultats de la présidentielle [Public Hearing of January 09, 2024 - Litigation over the presidential election results] (video) (in French). Constitutional Court. 9 January 2024. Event occurs at 1:47:00. Retrieved 13 January 2024 – via Facebook.
  38. ^ Joslin Lomba (14 January 2024). "Proclamation des résultats législatives : Voici les 44 partis et regroupements politiques ayant atteint le seuil". mediacongo.net. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  39. ^ a b "RDC : Les résultats provisoires des législatives nationales dévoilés". Actualite.cd (in French). 14 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  40. ^ Bruno Nsaka (13 January 2024). "Publication des résultats des législatives nationales : Ce qu'il faut savoir avant l'heure H". Actualite.cd (in French). Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  41. ^ "L'Avenir : "Crash électoral : La CENI invalide 82 candidats "". Radio Okapi (in French). 8 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  42. ^ "Résultats provisoires des législatives nationales : 477 députés élus pour le compte de 44 partis et regroupements politiques (CENI)". Radio Okapi (in French). 14 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  43. ^ Patient Ligodi (14 January 2024). "Premiers résultats des législatives en RDC: probable majorité parlementaire pour Félix Tshisekedi". RFI (in French). Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  44. ^ ""Législatives nationales : Liste des partis/regroupements politiques ayant atteint le seuil de représentativité"" [National legislative elections: List of parties/alliances that have reached the electoral threshold] (in French). CENI. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  45. ^ "CENI : Voici la liste sur la répartition des sièges des partis et regroupements politiques à la députation nationale" [Here is the list of the allocated seats to the parties and electoral alliances for the national deputies] (in French). CENI. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  46. ^ a b "La liste des élus à la députation provinciale de 2023" [The list of those elected as provincial deputies in 2023] (in French). CENI. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  47. ^ a b "COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE N° 010/CENI/2024 Portant publication des résultats provisoires à l'élection des Députes nationaux et provinciaux dans les circonscriptions électorales de Budjala, Bomongo, Ilebo, Kikwit, Kole, Makanza et Mobayi-Mbongo" [PRESS RELEASE No. 010/CENI/2024 Publication of provisional results for the election of national and provincial deputies in the electoral districts of Budjala, Bomongo, Ilebo, Kikwit, Kole, Makanza and Mobayi-Mbongo] (in French). CENI. 4 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  48. ^ CENI (21 January 2024). Législatives provinciales en RDC : la CENI a proclamé 688 candidats provisoirement élus [Provincial elections in the DRC: The CENI proclaims 688 candidates provisionally elected] (video) (in French). 3PLMek officiel. Event occurs at 12:35. Retrieved 9 February 2024 – via YouTube.
  49. ^ "DR Congo opposition politician Moïse Katumbi blocked from leaving home". The New Times. Rwanda. 9 January 2024. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  50. ^ "Moïse Katumbi in DR Congo: Troops surrounded poll loser's home". BBC News. 9 January 2024. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.

Further reading

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