Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo – Voting Marred By Delays, Alleged Malpractices Continues On Thursday

CONGOLESE headed to the polls again on Thursday, December 21, in a general election marked by widespread logistical troubles that meant some polling stations never opened.

After a chaotic campaign marred by allegations of fraud, electoral violence, and logistical setbacks, the presidential and legislative elections in DR Congo started despite severe disruptions as polling stations experienced lengthy delays on the morning of Wednesday.

The troubled mineral-rich country staged four concurrent elections – on Wednesday to elect a president, national and regional lawmakers as well as local councillors – amidst armed conflict and a climate of instability in the country’s west and east.

Reports indicate that day one was marked by massive delays nationwide, with the electoral commission still attempting to deliver materials to voting stations long after polls were meant to have opened.

As reported, voters encountered extended wait times at numerous polling stations in the capital, Kinshasa, and other urban centers, with openings delayed by approximately two hours. In some places, polls never opened, leaving people unable to cast ballots. Denis Kadima, the head of the electoral commission, on Wednesday night declared on national television that places unable to vote that day would vote on Thursday.

Five opposition presidential candidates, including Martin Fayulu and Dr Denis Mukwege, rejected the extension on Wednesday night on the grounds that it was illegal and, in a joint statement, called for fresh elections.

Incumbent President Félix Tshisekedi, 60, is in competition with 18 other candidates, vying for the presidency in an election where over 44 million people are registered to vote.

Delays were reported in towns in DR Congo’s volatile east and in Kinshasa, where voting materials had not arrived at polling stations and voter lists were not published.