Opposition politician Moise Katumbi, who came second after the December 20, 2023 elections in DR Congo, has called for the results to be cancelled.
The leader of the Ansemble pour la Republique party got 18 per cent of the votes while incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi got 73 per cent, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).
The general elections were marred by logistical issues and irregularities, according to opposition candidates and observers. In a January 6 statement, Katumbi said the December polls were an "electoral chaos" planned by the CENI "to maintain the current regime in power."
He said the electoral process was organised in violation of DR Congo's constitution, and called on the head of the CENI, Dennis Kadima, to resign.
"This is why, my party, Ensemble pour la République, and I, in the aftermath of the recorded grave irregularities that occurred, requested the cancellation of the fake elections on December 28, 2023 right after the end of the illegal additional electoral week," he said.
The alleged irregularities were recorded by the largest electoral observation mission, which, on January 4, asked the CENI to clarify what happened during the presidential, legislative, provincial and local elections.
On January 5, the electoral commission annulled votes for 82 candidates, including three ministers and four governors over fraud and violence during the elections. But its announcement did not address the irregularities during the presidential polls.
"The CENI's press release constitutes a serious admission of the irregularities denounced by multiple stakeholders," he said.
"This entire electoral process must be suspended, pending the creation of the independent and joint commission and the end of its investigations," Katumbi said, adding that Kadima's "resignation is not negotiable."
The DR Congo's Constitutional Court is expected to confirm the provisional results on January 10.
Katumbi said "cancelling these elections is the only solution."
He asked the Congolese people and the international community not to recognise the results of what he called "massive fraud and treachery."
