DRC: Why Tshisekedi will do anything to postpone elections

Author: Yousuf Rwaka

• 2023-03-19 07:42:00

Ahead of presidential elections scheduled for December 2023 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, incumbent President Félix Tshisekedi has consistently declared that the elections may be postponed.

The security crisis in eastern DRC became his pretext in claiming that the country is not ready to hold free and fair elections. Postponing the polls is a sure deal in his plans to buy time for plotting how to fraud the next elections just like was the case in 2018.

Despite criticism from Congolese and the International community, Tshisekedi remains indifferent. During a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron on March 4, the Congolese President raised a complaint again, saying that the electoral calendar will be affected by ongoing hostilities in the east, as if the armed conflicts there are not his fault.

His opposition including Martin Fayulu have accused the electoral commission (CENI) of creating more voting centers in some provinces than usual, as well as registering thousands of ghost voters.

In provinces where Tshisekedi has no popularity, CENI is delaying voter enrollment.

Only 52 per cent of forecast voters were registered while over 50 million voters are expected to be registered by March 17. CENI said an unspecified number of voting centers in the first registration zone of 10 provinces including Kinshasa had missed an interim deadline.

As by end of February, 24 centers in Kinshasa and an unspecified number of centers in Mai Ndombe province had not opened because of allegedly security issues. These provinces are not located in the volatile east of DRC.

"There are centers that existed in the electoral commission's map that are not open and others that are open when they should not be,” Fayulu told the media, adding that CENI is "organizing electoral chaos to prepare for fraud."

This opposition candidate came second in the 2018 election after fraud in results that declared Tshisekedi a winner. Sources in Kinshasa revealed that Tshisekedi lost the elections, emerging third after Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary and Faluyu who is said to have been the president-elect.

The plot to rig was engineered by former president, Joseph Kabila, and his inner circle.

Their aim was that Tshisekedi rules for one term and Kabila returns for another term. However, the deal ended when Tshisekedi betrayed Kabila.

Tshisekedi is now citing a number of reasons for postponing the elections, with insecurity on top. Like shooting himself in the foot, the president who is looking for a second term goes on alleging that Rwanda is causing chaos in his country by supporting the M23 rebels. But the international community is gradually becoming aware of his true colors and calling a spade a spade.

“Since 1994, you have never been able to restore the military, security or administrative sovereignty of your country. It's a reality. We must not look for culprits outside,” Macron declared in his recent visit in Kinshasa.

·       Read: Macron’s bitter truth exposed Tshisekedi’s weaknesses

Knowing that he won’t win hearts and minds of Congolese with no single positive achievement since he assumed office in 2019, Tshisekedi has opted to overseeing massacres of Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese, hence complaining that insecurity won’t allow the country to hold elections.

Tshisekedi is also repressing his opposition candidates including Moïse Katumbi whose passport was confiscated by Congolese intelligence agency, and Jean Marc Kabund who was arrested in Kinshasa.

With more than $400 million given by the Ministry of Finance to organize elections, since October 2022, CENI has received no funds for operations, as CENI president, Denis Kadima, announced to the local media.

Time uncovers the truth, they say. Tshisekedi never invested in improving the welfare of the Congolese. He, therefore, has nothing to show them so that they can vote for him.

The world has started unmasking his lies  especially when he blames Rwanda for his failures, and these lies will no longer work.

His remaining option is to postpone the elections.

But, should the Congolese allow to be duped again? Only time will tell.