DR Congo constitutional court confirms Tshisekedi victory

DR Congo's Constitutional Court on Tuesday confirmed President Felix Tshisekedi's landslide victory in a December election for a second term in the poor but mineral-rich massive central African country.

Tshisekedi got 73.47 per cent of the vote during a December 20 election, the court said.

The Democratic Republic of Congo held a presidential, legislative, regional and local election on December 20 that opposition leaders had called a "sham".

Nine opposition candidates signed a declaration in late December rejecting what they termed a "sham" election and called for a re-run.

More than 40 million people out of the 100 million inhabitants of the vast country were registered to vote on December 20 for president, as well as for national and regional lawmakers and municipal councillors.

Voting was officially extended by a day to account for problems, and continued for days afterwards in remote areas, according to observers.

The final figures announced by the court on Tuesday differed only slightly from the provisional results that election officials had already made public.

Following Tshisekedi is Moise Katumbi, a former governor of the central Katanga region with 18.08 per cent.

Martin Fayulu -- who says he was robbed of the last presidential election in 2018 -- got 4.92 per cent.

Former prime minister Adolphe Muzito got 1.13 per cent and Denis Mukwege, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work with female victims of wartime sexual violence, got less than one per cent.

In its ruling on Tuesday, the court also rejected an appeal by a candidate who came in last to annul the results.

Story by AFP

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