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(KINSHASA, Congo) – The Congolese capital was calm Sunday with residents attending the church after the Constitutional Court upheld Felix Tshisekedi's victory in the presidential election. It was unclear whether the public would accept finalist Martin Fayulu's appeal for non-violent protests against the court's decision.
Tshisekedi said Sunday morning that the court's decision to dismiss the charges of election fraud and declare him president was a victory for the entire country.
"It's the Congo that has won," said Tshisekedi, addressing his supporters after the court decision. "This is not the victory of one camp against another. I am engaged in a campaign to reconcile all Congolese. … The Congo we are going to train will not be a Congo of division, hatred or tribalism. It will be a reconciled Congo, a strong Congo that will focus on development, peace and security. "
Supporters of his UDPS party celebrated the victory until the early hours of the morning, during processions of processions in the main streets of the capital.
The brief bulletin
But Fayulu said he was the "only legitimate president of the Congo" and called on the Congolese people to peacefully protest what he called a "coup d'état constitutional" threatened to maintain the country in a political crisis that has been smoldering since December. 30 elections.
The court rejected Fayulu's request for a recount, saying Tshisekedi won with more than 7 million votes, or 38 percent, and Fayulu received 34 percent.
In his judgment, released on Sunday in the early hours of the day, Fayulu did not provide any evidence to support his claims that he won easily in light of the disclosed data attributed to the electoral commission. He also dismissed Fayulu's other appeal against the Electoral Commission's decision to ban one million voters from electing a deadly Ebola election.
Fayulu and his supporters also testified in court that incumbent President Joseph Kabila had reached an extraordinary deal behind the scenes to rig the vote in favor of Tshisekedi.
"It's a secret to anyone in and out of our country that you elected me president," with 60 percent of the vote, Fayulu said in a statement. "I now consider myself the only legitimate president of the DRC."
Fayulu urged the Congolese to take to the streets to demonstrate peacefully. Neither the Congolese community nor the international community should recognize or obey Tshisekedi, Fayulu said.
The Congolese government on Sunday called Fayulu's statements "irresponsible".
"We see this as an irresponsible and extremely politicized statement. I do not think he understands the regional and global problems with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and that's a shame, "spokesman Lambert Mende told the Associated Press on Sunday.
Tshisekedi, the son of the late, charismatic opposition leader Etienne, who has hardly been tested, is due to be inaugurated on 22 January. The government is expected to resign in the coming days and the new National Assembly will be installed on January 26 with a new seat. small group of members who will then validate the 500 deputies, the majority of whom belong to Kabila's Common Front for Congo party.
Many feared that the rejection of the appeal by the court would lead to greater instability in a country already suffering from rebels, community violence and an Ebola epidemic.
"This could lead to demonstrations, but it will not be as intense as in 2017 and 2018," said Andrew Edward Tchie, a research scholar at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza immediately congratulated the newly elected president in a tweet on Sunday.
"Thanks to a fully organized electoral process, without outside influence and with the wisdom of President Kabila, #RDC has just defended its dignity and sovereignty. #Burundi congratulates the elected president, HE Félix A. Tshisekedi, and the step taken by the Congolese people, "he said.
The Southern African Development Community congratulated President-elect Tshisekedi and Congo on Sunday for conducting peaceful elections "despite the security and logistical challenges". The group had suggested last week a recount and a possible government union.
The regional bloc of 16 countries called on "all Congolese to accept the result, to consolidate democracy and to maintain a peaceful and stable environment after the historic elections". The body called on "all stakeholders to support the elected president and his government unity, peace and stability, and achieve socio-economic development in the DRC." SADC hopes for a peaceful transfer of power to the elected president.
Tanzanian President John Magufuli also sent his congratulations on Twitter.
In addition to congratulating Tshisekedi on his election to the Congo presidency, Magufuli congratulated the Congolese people. "Please keep the peace," he wrote.
All election results, not just those of the presidency, were widely questioned after Kabila's ruling coalition won a majority in legislative and provincial ballots, while his presidential candidate finished the polls. third.
Despite this, Congo, a country of 80 million people, rich in minerals essential to smartphones around the world, is approaching its first peaceful and democratic transfer of power since independence in 1960.
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