Nineteen days after Felix Tshisekedi’s inauguration as the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), election runner-up, Martin Fayulu, has proposed a rematch, asking for the polls to be held again in six months.
In a letter addressed to the African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, the former presidential candidate reiterated his previous allegation against Tshisekedi’s win, insisting that the election result and the process had been tampered with.
Last month, the DRC’s independent electoral commission declared Felix Tshisekedi the winner of the country’s December 30th polls, with 38.5 percent of total votes casted, and Fayulu as the runner-up with 34.8 percent of the votes. After the election, many observers criticised the process, saying the election was rigged and otherwise influenced.
Fayulu, who attended a two-day AU summit and was recently elected as the organisation’s second vice president for the year, also called on the AU to set up a special committee to examine the results extensively.
Furthermore, Fayulu alleged that the DRC’s Independent National Election Commission (CENI) fabricated the results it published after the elections.
To support his claim, he also referenced reports from independent election monitors and observers from his own coalition, as well as votes tallied by election umpires, which had been leaked to the press.
Fayulu also met the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, and the European Union’s Foreign Relations Chief, Federica Mogherini, to discuss the issue.
Regardless of Fayulu’s displeasure over the elections, the international community has hailed the transition of power from former President Joseph Kabila to Felix Tshishekedi, as the most peaceful transfer of power the country has ever witnessed.
Tshisekedi was sworn in on the 24th of January, replacing former President Joseph Kabila, who had sat in the presidential seat for 18 years and had been accused of authoritarianism, human rights violations and deep corruption.
Although both Fayulu and Tshisekedi were both from different opposition sides and Kabila had placed his stamp of approval on former interior Minister, Emmanuel Shadary, Tshisekedi’s unexpected victory had been viewed as a last minute effort from Kabila to switch alliances.
The elections were previously scheduled to hold at the end of 2016, but Kabila stayed in office for an additional two years under the ‘caretaker clause’ of the country’s constitution.
Subsequently, Kabila bowed to international pressure and ensured the conduction of the election in 2018.
