DR Congo: Constitutional Court upholds President Tshisekedi’s election victory

The Constitutional Court in the Democratic Republic of Congo validated the election that brought in President Felix Tshisekedi for another term following a contest poll in December last year.

It also rejected two legal challenges to the provisional results of the contested poll and declared President Tshisekedi the final winner.

Mr. Tshisekedi, according to the electoral commission, received 73.47% of the vote.

The court declared the incumbent president the winner of the election despite independent observers’ reports of widespread irregularities during the December 20 vote.

The Constitutional Court decided on Tuesday that the alleged anomalies could not have influenced the results because the incumbent was so far ahead of Mr. Moise Katumbi, who received roughly 18% of the vote.

The ruling ends a possible delay to the January 20 swearing of the incumbent president for another term.

President Tshisekedi was tipped to win the presidential election after spending five years in office.

What will be the main focus for the Congolese leader for another five years are unemployment and insecurity, closely followed by the state of the country’s roads and rising prices.