KINSHASA – The Democratic Republic of Congo’s electoral commission, Ceni, released early results of the presidential election on Monday, indicating a significant lead for incumbent leader Felix Tshisekedi.
The preliminary results, accounting for nearly 1.9 million ballots out of around 44 million registered voters, position Tshisekedi as the front-runner, seeking a second five-year term.
According to Ceni, Felix Tshisekedi, 60, who has been in power since 2019, is leading with over 81 percent of the vote.
Business magnate Moise Katumbi, 58, and former oil executive Martin Fayulu, 67, follow with just over 15 percent and slightly above one percent of the vote, respectively.
While nearly 20 other opponents, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege, failed to gather even one percent of the vote, opposition candidates have raised concerns about the electoral process, denouncing “chaos” and “irregularities.”
Some are planning demonstrations for the coming week, while others call for the outright cancellation of the election.
The polls, initially scheduled for December 20 and 21, faced logistical challenges, leading to an extension.
The Catholic Archbishop of Kinshasa, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, criticized the elections during his Christmas mass, describing them as a “gigantic disorder.”
He, along with more than a dozen embassies, called for “caution and restraint” in a country historically marked by authoritarian rule and conflict.
In addition to concerns about the electoral process, the campaign has been impacted by tensions in the conflict-torn east.
Over the past two years, the region has witnessed a resurgence of the M23 rebels, allegedly supported by Rwanda, although Kigali denies these allegations.
The unfolding situation adds complexity to the electoral landscape in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
