[ad_1]
The African Union (AU) says there are "serious doubts" about the outcome of the elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and called for the suspension of the final results.
These figures gave the victory to an opposition candidate, Felix Tshisekedi, but another opponent of the current administration insists that he won.
Useful links Ghana Politics | Ghana celebrity news | News in Ghana
Martin Fayulu's supporters said Tshisekedi had a power-sharing deal with incumbent President Joseph Kabila.
Mr. Tshisekedi's team denies it.
The Constitutional Court should decide in the coming days on a legal challenge of the result.
Ghana News Titles
For the latest news from Ghana, visit the Graphic Online titles page
Ghana news headlines.
A number of heads of state and government of AU met Thursday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, and issued a statement reporting the controversial vote of December 30.
"There were serious doubts about the conformity of the provisional results, as proclaimed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, with the votes cast," it says.
"As a result, the [AU] called for the suspension of the proclamation of the final results of the elections ".
For news from Ghana | Ghana Business News | News in Ghana
What could the electoral commission do?
If it were confirmed, the result of the elections would create the first orderly transfer of power since the independence of DR Congo by Belgium in 1960.
The electoral commission said Tshisekedi received 38.5 percent of the vote, compared to 34.7 percent for Fayulu. The candidate of the ruling coalition, Emmanuel Shadary, took 23.8%.
But Fayulu says Tshisekedi has reached an agreement with President Kabila, who has been in office for 18 years.
Fayulu appealed to the Constitutional Court on Saturday to demand a manual recount.
A verdict could be made Friday, and experts say that there are three possible outcomes.
The court could confirm Mr Tshisekedi's victory, order a recount or simply cancel the results and call for new elections.
But the court has never canceled the results and some think most of its judges are close to the ruling party.
What do others say?
Tshisekedi's winning statement was also challenged by the influence of the Catholic Church, which deployed 40,000 election observers throughout the country.
International experts based in the United States, as well as the French and German governments, have also expressed doubts.
The UN said ethnic violence in the west of the country had killed at least 890 people in just three days last month.
Clashes between the communities of Banunu and Batende took place in four villages in the Yumbi region from December 16 to 18, according to the UN Human Rights Bureau.
The vote in the presidential election was postponed to Yumbi because of the violence.
Most of the region's population was reportedly displaced, including some 16,000 people who sought refuge across the Congo River for the neighboring Republic of Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville.
Some 465 houses and buildings were burned or looted, including two primary schools, a health center and the office of the independent electoral commission, said the UN.
Source link
