Current:Home > MyCongo’s constitutional court upholds election results, declares President Tshisekedi the winner-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Congo’s constitutional court upholds election results, declares President Tshisekedi the winner
View Date:2024-12-24 00:18:11
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo’s constitutional court on Tuesday upheld the results of last month’s election that declared President Felix Tshisekedi the winner, rejecting a petition by an opposition candidate to annul the vote.
“Mr. Tshisekedi Tshilombo Felix Antoine has been elected president of (Congo) by a majority of votes cast,” said Judge Kamuleta Badibanga Dieudonne, president of the constitutional court.
The court called a petition by opposition candidate Theodore Ngoy to redo the vote unfounded. Ngoy, who finished with less than 1% of the vote, was the only candidate to file an appeal.
Tshisekedi will be sworn in at the end of January.
About 18 million people cast ballots in the election, which had a turnout of more than a 40%, according to the election commission.
Tshisekedi won reelection with more than 70% of the vote as opposition candidates and their supporters questioned the validity of the results.
The vote was mired with logistical problems. Many polling stations were late in opening or didn’t open at all. Some lacked materials, and many voter cards had smudged ink that made them illegible.
Congo has a history of disputed elections that can turn violent, and there’s little confidence among many Congolese in the country’s institutions. Before the results were announced last month, opposition candidates, including frontrunner Moise Katumbi, said they rejected the results and called on the population to mobilize.
In a statement earlier this month Katumbi accused the electoral commission of planning chaos in order to keep the regime in power and called on the head of the commission to resign.
“His resignation is not negotiable for, more than anyone else, he has mismanaged the all electoral process which ended up being nothing but a sham of elections,” said Katumbi.
Neither he or other opposition candidates filed an appeal with the constitutional court, saying they didn’t believe it would rule independently.
____
Follow AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
veryGood! (31912)
Related
- Georgia House Democrats shift toward new leaders after limited election gains
- Holly Humberstone on opening Eras Tour: 'It's been a week, and I'm still not over it'
- Billions of crabs suddenly vanished, likely due to climate change, study says
- Gun rights activists target new Massachusetts law with lawsuit and repeal effort
- Bodyless head washes ashore on a South Florida beach
- When do cats stop growing? How to know your pet has reached its full size
- Sword, bullhorn stolen from Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Pitino’s St. John’s University office
- 'Believe that': The Arizona Diamondbacks may be the best team in baseball
- Nicole Scherzinger receives support from 'The View' hosts after election post controversy
- Vermont police officer facing charge of aggravated assault during arrest
Ranking
- Republican David Schweikert wins reelection in affluent Arizona congressional district
- Justice Department accuses RealPage of violating antitrust laws through scheme to hike rents
- ‘It’s our time': As Harris accepts the nomination, many women say a female president is long overdue
- Shawn Johnson Reveals 4-Year-Old Daughter Drew's Super Sweet Nickname for Simone Biles
- Florida man’s US charges upgraded to killing his estranged wife in Spain
- At DNC, Gabrielle Giffords joins survivors of gun violence and families of those killed in shootings
- Fantasy football 2024: What are the top D/STs to draft this year?
- The Seagrass Species That Is Not So Slowly Taking Over the World
Recommendation
-
Don't Miss Cameron Diaz's Return to the Big Screen Alongside Jamie Foxx in Back in Action Trailer
-
Here’s the schedule for the DNC’s fourth and final night leading up to Harris’ acceptance speech
-
Tom Brady and Bridget Moynahan's Son Jack Is His Dad's Mini-Me in New Photo
-
NWSL scraps draft in new CBA, a first in US but typical elsewhere in soccer
-
The Daily Money: Inflation is still a thing
-
How Nevada colleges and universities are encouraging students to vote
-
Man charged in 2017 double homicide found dead at Virginia jail
-
Paris Hilton Reveals the Status of Her Friendships With Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan