Goma: citizen movements contest the provisional election results published by the CENI

The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) has on Sunday afternoon officially published the December 20 elections results. The provisional results ruled that the outgoing president Antoine Félix Tshisekedi Tshilombo was re-elected with 73.43%. The figures were contested by members of citizen movements and civil society activists in DRC’s Goma city, Northern Kivu. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

A few minutes after the publication of the results, a demonstration was held by citizen movements and local civil society. They say they oppose the re-election of Félix Tshisekedi as head of the DRC for a second term.

For them, “the outgoing president did not favorably respond to the duties of a Congolese head of state.”

They believe the CENI organized chaotic elections across the country to give Tshisekedi the power that they say, he does not deserve.

“President Tshisekedi wanted to seize the second mandate in collaboration with those in charge of the CENI,” accused LUCHA, Struggle for Change.

For civil society in the North Kivu province, “the Commission in charge of elections no longer responds favorably to its duties to organize free and transparent elections.”

“We are surprised to see an institution which calls itself independent but which always remains on the side of the power in place. The way in which the elections of December 20 were organized revealed there were shenanigans”, regretted Marion Ngavho, president of urban civil society in Goma.

The opposition sings victory for Moïse Katumbi

On the other hand, members of opposition groups and parties have continued to sing victory in the presidential election because according to them, the candidate Moïse Katumbi, former governor of Katanga, was elected overwhelmingly.

“I know that the CENI had to do this kind of stupid thing. Yes, it’s normal because even in 2018, this institution proclaimed Tshisekedi when the population had not voted for him. So, we only see the success of our leader Moïse Katumbi who tried to do his best so that stability reigns in the DRC. We will never accept the success of Tshisekedi who does not even know well the problems of our country”, added Espoir Ngalukiye, senior official of the political party, Ensemble pour la République run by M.Katumbi.

Residents believe that the elections were organized in a good climate

Some residents of the city of Goma find that the elections were organized peacefully. Opponents who failed cannot digest the victory of Félix Tshisekedi elected massively by the Congolese population, according to them.

Last week, presidential candidates demonstrated their discontent in Kinshasa, the Congolese capital, describing the vote as “chaos”.

Five candidates including Martin Fayulu, unsuccessful candidate in the December 2018 presidential election, asked the CENI to cancel the December 20 elections and demanded the immediate resignation of Denis Kadima, president of the Commission.