KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo — The Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday rejected an African Union demand to delay announcing the final results of its presidential election, compounding the turmoil surrounding a vote that many fear could fan widespread unrest.

In a surprise announcement on Thursday, the African Union called for the results to be postponed because of “serious doubts” over the conduct of the election. The vote was supposed to be Congo’s first democratic handover of power in 59 years of independence, but the runner-up candidate has said the result was rigged.

The final tally will be released once the Constitutional Court has ruled on challenges to provisional results, including those filed by Martin Fayulu, the opposition leader and second-place finisher.

“I do not think anyone has the right to tell the court what to do,” the government spokesman Lambert Mende said.