Opposition candidates led by Martin Fayulu and Dr Dénis Mukwenge will this Wednesday, 27 December, 2023 hold a march in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital Kinshasa to protest against the ongoing electoral process.
The 2023 General Elections has been marred with several irregularities that has seen the opposition describe the process as the “birth of an electoral crisis”.
The election, illegally stretched and held across five days, has seen incumbent Fèlix Tshisekedi taken an overwhelming lead over his opponents with figures that cannot be properly accounted for by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).
Fayulu and Mukwenge alongside other candidates including Theodore Ngoy, Jean-Claude Baende and Nkema Liloo have since invited Kinshasa residents to join in the march to call for the annulation of the election.
“All Congolese present in the city of Kinshasa to gather massively this December 27, 2023 on the boulevard triumphal in front of the martyrs stadium to march to the boulevard du Trente Juin at the CENI, in protest against the birth of a new political crisis whose fundamental cause will be the contestation of the legitimacy of the leaders of the institutions of the Republic that the CENI is preparing to proclaim itself as having been elected, following the sham elections of December 20, 2023, illegally and irregularly extended until December 25 2023” the joint-statement by the opposition candidates reads.
Meanwhile, government in Kinshasa has banned all planned demonstrations in the city and warned that it will take action against those that will defy its decision.