DR Congo presidential election 2023: President Felix Tshisekedi, Moïse Katumbi, Martin Fayulu, odas contest

New Informate 21 December 2023

Voting for di Democratic Republic of Congo ogbonge presidential election no go well sake of long delays and claims of mago-mago.

Some voting stations no open at all thru out di day, wey lead to widespread frustration.

Dem extend voting till Thursday for some areas.

Four presidential candidates for di Democratic Republic of Congo, don issue statement wey call for di cancellation of di election wey happun on Wednesday.

One of dem describe di election as « total chaos », sake of di katakata wey happun during di campaign.

Di four candidates na: opposition leader Martin Fayulu, Nobel Peace winner Denis Mukwege, youth movement leader Floribert Anzuluni and pastor Theodore Ngoy.

For di statement wey dem make for di capital city Kinshasa, dem justify dia decision by di delay in many areas due to technical and logistical issues.

For some parts of di kontri, angry mob wey dey protest about di way wey dem dey handle di process destroye some voting equipment.

According to observers, nearly sixty percent of voting stations open late, and at least thirty percent of voting equipment bin no dey work.

On di oda side, di Congolese goment congratulate pipo wey vote.

For one press release wey dem bring out on Wednesday evening, di DRC goment tok-tok pesin condemn di katakata wey happun for parts of di kontri.

Im invite law enforcement institutions to track di pipo wey dia hand dey inside.

E get some places wey voting no happun at all because of rebel activity.

Ceni dey expected to announce provisional results on 31 December.

DR Congo sits on vast reserves of cobalt, currently a vital part of many lithium batteries, seen as essential to a future free of fossil fuels.

For the first time, Congolese nationals living in five other countries – including South Africa and former colonial power Belgium – are able to cast their ballots.

Earlier during di day, di electoral commission bin promise say polling stations go open for at least eleven hours from dia opening time to allow as many pipo as possible to vote.

President Félix Tshisekedi wey dey face 18 candidates as im dey seek a second term in office, reassure voters say polling stations wey no operate on election day go open on Thursday.

About 44 million pipo bin get di chance on Wednesday to pick di next president of di Democratic Republic of Congo from field of 19 candidates.

But insecurity for parts of di kontri plus logistics wahala don create anoda kasala for di kontri.

DR Congo get plenti cobalt wey be di koko of many lithium batteries wey dey seen as essential for future wey dey free of fossil fuels.

Di success of dis election fit get power to enhance di stability for di kontri and to make sure say di way dem comot di metal na wetin fit benefit di Congolese pipo.

Opposition presidential candidate Martin Fayulu, runner-up in di disputed 2018 presidential election, describe di situation as « total katakata ».

« If all di pipo no vote for all di polling stations wey Ceni [Independent National Electoral Commission], indicate, we no go accept dis elections, » na wetin Reuters quote say im tok afta e vote for di capital.

Di news agency report say anoda presidential candidate, Nobel Peace Laureate Denis Mukwege, allege say di « electoral mago-mago of di century [bin] dey happun ».

Millionaire businessman Moïse Katumbi say e dey too early to judge but « many failures » bin dey.

Ceni official Patricia Nseya acknowledge di cases of misconduct among her staff and promise sanctions afta dia investigations wey dey go on.

According to di Symocel observer group, nearly 60% of polling stations open late, while 30% of voter material no work.

Election chief Denis Kadima say dem go extend di election into Thursday for areas wey voting no happun on Wednesday.

Im also confam say at least jaguda pipo make 3,244 attempts to hack di institution computer systems.

For di north-eastern town of Bunia, pipo wey bin don run comot sake of katakata and wey no fot travel back to dia homes and villages to vote dey para.

Dem express dia anger by attacking one polling station and destroy voting machines before police restore order.

Like before, dis election na only one round and na di candidate wey get di most votes go win. Di plenti opposition to Tshisekedi fit help am, sake of say e go divide opposition support.

Voters dey also choose dia parliamentary, provincial and municipal representatives wit like 100,000 candidates wey dey compete.

To fit get voting materials to di ova 175,000 polling booths, di electoral commission use di UN peacekeepers.

For di east, na so so kasala dey burst as di election dey draw close.

Plenty armed groups dey fight to control parts of di region.

Even though di UN peacekeeping force, East African regional force and Congolese sojas dey ground, kasala neva stop and e don make about seven million pipo run comot dia house.

Many no fit register to vote, for wetin some pipo call chaotic registration process.

Places dey wia voting no go hold at all sake of rebel activity.

Di continuous kasala for di eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu na di main campaign issue as presidential candidates dey promise to end am.

Political kasala before di election too don follow cause worry.

Before di election, di European Union tok say e dey worry about « di hate speech, violence, and kasala wey don mark di last few days ». Deadly incidents don shele wey make oga Katumbi to pause im campaign small.

Polls start for 06:00 local time and voting dey due to kontinu for 11 hours. Di electoral commission dey expected to release provincial results for di last day of di year.