As the electoral commission announced on Sunday, the politician, considered pro-Western, received 73.3 percent of the votes cast. However, even before the preliminary results were announced, nine opposition candidates called for new elections on Sunday.
In the presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, incumbent Félix Tshisekedi clearly prevailed according to provisional results. As the electoral commission announced on Sunday, the politician, considered pro-Western, obtained 13.2 million votes. This represents 73.3% of the votes cast. The official final result will be announced by the Constitutional Court of Africa's second largest country.
Even before the provisional results of the December 20 elections were announced, nine opposition candidates called for new elections on Sunday and declared that they did not want to recognize the results of the electoral commission. Election-related demonstrations were expected in Kinshasa, as well as in several other cities, especially in the east of the country.
Incumbent Thisekedi was the favorite in the election
Tshisekedi had the best opportunity in the elections in Africa's second largest country – also because the opposition was unable to agree on a common candidate. At the beginning of his first term, he announced that he wanted to transform the country into an African Germany. Businessman Moise Katumbi, considered the most promising opponent, and eight other candidates criticized irregularities in the election in a joint appearance on Sunday and called for new elections with an “independent electoral commission”.
Around 44 million people were called to vote. The resource-rich Central African country, which is the size of Western Europe, has a total population of 100 million. Members of the national parliament and regional parliaments of the country's provinces, as well as local representatives, were also elected. However, in many polling stations it was not possible to vote on election day due to lack of voter lists, faulty voting machines or other problems, and voting was extended at short notice. As a result, voting took place over several days. (APA/dpa)