Bloc has ‘serious doubts’ over vote, for which declared runner up has called a recount

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The African Union has issued a surprise last-minute demand for the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s government to suspend the announcement of final results of the deeply disputed presidential election.

DRC’s constitutional court is poised to rule as early as Friday on a challenge filed by the election’s declared runner-up. Martin Fayulu has requested a recount, alleging fraud.

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In a statement released late on Thursday, the AU said there were “serious doubts” over the outcome, and said heads of state and government agreed to “urgently dispatch” a high-level delegation to DRC with “the view to reaching a consensus on a way out of the post-electoral crisis”.

“The heads of state and government attending the meeting concluded that there were serious doubts on the conformity of the provisional results as proclaimed by the National Independent Electoral Commission, with the verdict of the ballot boxes,” the statement said.

The DRC government dismissed the request and said it was up to judges at the court to respond. “The independence of our judiciary is no problem,” said government spokesman Lambert Mende.

Some fear the election dispute could lead to violence in the country.

Jason Stearns, director of the Congo Research Group at New York University, called the move “truly incredible” on Twitter.

Jason Stearns (@jasonkstearns) This is truly incredible. Usually, the African Union defers to the subregion, so @SADC_News. In this case they departed dramatically, asking Constitutional Court not to decide (as it must per Congolese law) on election results and wait for an AU mission. https://t.co/P9ESxjU62j

DRC faces the extraordinary situation of an election allegedly rigged in favour of the opposition.

Fayulu accuses the government of outgoing president Joseph Kabila of falsifying the results to declare opposition leader Félix Tshisekedi the winner after the ruling party candidate did poorly. Fayulu has cited figures compiled by the influential Catholic church’s 40,000 election observers that found he won 61% of the vote.

Two sets of leaked data show that Fayulu won the election by a landslide, according to an investigation published this week by Radio France International and other media working with the Congo Research Group.

In the first set of data, attributed to DRC’s electoral commission and representing 86% of the votes, Fayulu won 59.4% while Tshisekedi received 19%. The second set of data, from the Catholic church’s mission, represents 43% of the votes. In it, Tshisekedi and ruling party candidate Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary each received less than 20%.

Fayulu, a lawmaker and businessman who is outspoken about cleaning up DRC’s sprawling corruption, is widely seen as posing more of a threat to Kabila, his allies and the vast wealth they have amassed. Tshisekedi, the son of charismatic opposition leader Étienne who died in 2017, is relatively untested and has said little since the 30 December election.

Pressure from African nations is seen as having more of an impact on DRC’s government, which was annoyed by western pressure during more than two years of turbulent election delays.

The AU statement reflects serious concern by states about the threat of more unrest in DRC that could spill across borders and destabilise its many neighbours.

The election had been meant to take place in late 2016, and many Congolese were worried that Kabila, in power since 2001, was seeking a way to stay in office. Barred from serving three consecutive terms, Kabila already has hinted he might run again in 2023.