Congo Opposition Leader Backs Electoral-Commission Results Delay

KINSHASA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Democratic Republic of Congo presidential candidate Felix Tshisekedi backed the electoral commission’s postponement of election results, cleaving the opposition’s response to the delay.

The National Independent Electoral Commission, or CENI, put off the announcement of the outcome of the Dec. 30 presidential election indefinitely on Sunday — the day it was scheduled to announce a provisional winner. While two African observer missions endorsed the polls, rival opposition candidate Martin Fayulu criticized the delay and called for the result to be announced as soon as possible.

Tshisekedi accepts the postponement, Vital Kamerhe, his campaign director and running mate, said by phone Monday from the capital, Kinshasa.

“We understand the delay by CENI because it was us in the opposition who asked that the transmission of results isn’t done electronically,” Kamerhe said. “We are waiting for the publication of the results. We can’t contest things that we don’t yet know.”

The body that represents Congo’s Catholic bishops said on Thursday the results collected on election day by its 40,000-strong observer mission showed there was a clear winner, without identifying the person. The election is a three-way contest between Fayulu, Tshisekedi and Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, the protege of outgoing President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled the world’s biggest cobalt producer since 2001.

The government has tried to limit speculation about the outcome of the election by cutting off the internet the day after the vote and warning media that only CENI is allowed to publish results.

CENI President Corneille Nangaa said on Sunday that only 53 percent of ballots from polling stations have reached counting centers. He didn’t say when provisional results will be announced.

Source: Bloomberg Business News