Opposition Engagement for Citizenship and Development (ECiDe) President Martin Fayulu has announced his candidacy in the upcoming 20th December Presidential Elections.
Fayulu confirmed his decision to run for president on Saturday after having initially said he and his party would not participate in the 2023 polls without an external audit to be conducted into the voter registration by an independent firm.
With the request to have an external audit conducted into the voter register not granted, Fayulu has put emphasis on close monitoring of the elections in order to ensure transparency.
“The Lamuka coalition has decided to submit my candidacy for the presidential election in December 2023. We will continue to fight to demand greater transparency in the elections. As we did not have transparency through the audit of the electoral register, we will have it in the monitoring of the elections,” Fayulu told a press briefing.
Fayulu backed the bishop’s body, CENCO-ECC idea to launch an independent citizens’ audit to ensure a free and fair electoral process.
“We totally agree with the CENCO-ECC electoral observation mission that I cite transparency and inclusion as a lever for peace and stability in the DRC before, during and the elections.”
Fayulu will be one of the lead contenders to challenge President Fèlix Tshisekedi to whom he lost in the December 2018 ballot.
