"Doubts remain" over the outcome of the presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after the final proclamation of Felix Tshisekedi as president by the Constitutional Court, said Sunday the European Union.
"Doubts remain over compliance" vote of 30 December, EU spokesman said, urging the parties to refrain from violence and to cooperate with the African Union delegation expected Monday in Kinshasa.
Call for peaceful rally. The Constitutional Court validated the results of the electoral commission (CENI) giving Felix Tshisekedi winner with 38.5% of the vote, ahead of Martin Fayulu (34.8%) and the candidate of power, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary (23%) . Martin Fayulu had immediately called on the international community to "not recognize a power that has neither legitimacy nor legal status", proclaiming itself "the only legitimate president". He urged his compatriots to organize "peaceful demonstrations" throughout the country. If his appeal did not seem to be heard Sunday morning, it will take a little longer to know if he will be followed or not.
"Electoral Putsch". Martin Fayulu denounced an "electoral coup" of the outgoing president with the "complicity" of Felix Tshisekedi and claimed victory with 61% of the vote. The estimates of the influential Catholic Church and those of the New York University Group of Experts on the Congo (GEC), based on documents that allegedly leaked from the CENI, also give him the victory with about 60% of the votes .
A peaceful first transmission of power since 1960. There was also calm in Beni and Butembo, in the east, where the presidential election was canceled due to the Ebola epidemic and massacres of civilians, as well as Goma further south. No incidents were reported, not even in Kikwit, in the west, one of Martin Fayulu's strongholds, where a major police deployment was observed on Saturday night. Felix Tshisekedi, 55, succeeds Joseph Kabila, 47, in power since the assassination of his father Laurent-Désiré in January 2001. This is the first peaceful transmission of power since the independence of the DRC on June 30, 1960 He will have to live with a prime minister from the current pro-Kabila majority, who won a large majority (337 seats out of 500) in the National Assembly according to the Electoral Commission.
"On the 22nd (January) there will probably be an oath, the government will resign and the National Assembly will be back," said government spokesman Lambert Mende on the news website. The rejection of Martin Fayulu's appeal contesting the results of the CENI and calling for a recount of votes, is not surprising, because it is widely considered to be acquired by President Kabila.