DR Congo: Ruling UDPS secures majority seats after December polls 

The electoral commission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has announced that the country’s Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) party has won the majority of seats in the December parliamentary elections.

Results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) indicated that the party of President Felix Tshisekedi won 69 seats in the 500-member National Assembly ahead of 44 other parties.

The Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC), led by Economy Minister Vital Kamerhe, came second with 36 seats secured from the poll.

Election observers say the results give president Tshisekedi the clear majority needed to form a new government.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Moise Katumbi’s Together for the Republic party emerged as the major opposition force with 22 seats, as some of its key members failed to make it to parliament.

The UDPS and its coalition held over 390 seats in the last session.

Recall that President Felix Tshisekedi was re-elected for another five-year term to lead the DR Congo after a disputed poll.

Opposition parties described the election as fraud and demanded a fresh poll as the electoral commission insisted that the election was credible.