DR Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi has won a second term in office after elections described as chaotic and is now set to cement his authority in the impoverished central African nation.
In pugnacious rallies ahead of the December 20 vote, the 60-year-old, sporting white shirts and baseball caps, urged voters to let him "consolidate his gains," claiming progress on development and security. He won out against 25 other candidates in the single-round presidential vote, bringing home about 73% of the ballots cast, according to provisional results announced on Sunday, December 31, by the country's electoral commission.
The scale of the president's victory is crushing – and the Democratic Republic of Congo's political opposition has made allegations that voting irregularities explain the huge margin over his rivals. Voting had been extended over several days due to bureaucratic mayhem, leading opposition figures to call for a rerun after what they termed "total chaos" and a "sham election."
Known by the nickname "Fatshi" – an abbreviation of his name – Tshisekedi has led the DRC through the Covid pandemic and the ongoing M23 rebellion in the mineral-rich east. The success of his first term in office is often viewed as mixed: The economy has grown but inflation is soaring and high unemployment remains the norm.
During his re-election campaign, Tshisekedi trumpeted his elimination of primary school fees and promised to create millions of new jobs. He also regularly accused opposition figures of working for foreign interests.
The DRC is one of the poorest nations in the world and riddled with corruption. Combating it was highlighted as a key goal of Tshisekedi's presidency. But his record is patchy, and many analysts view him as prioritizing his political position.
Tshisekedi also promised progress on development, but life remains tough for most Congolese. Despite economic growth on paper, inflation reached more than 20% in October compared to last year, according to the International Monetary Fund. Further, progress on consolidating DRC's fragile democracy is stalling. Authorities have jailed opposition politicians as well as a prominent journalist.