Official election results in the Democratic Republic of the Congo do not reflect polling station data, the country’s respected Catholic church has said, as the runner-up denounced what he described as an “electoral coup” and fears grew of protests that could lead to violence.
Felix Tshisekedi, the leader of DRC’s main opposition party, was declared the surprise winner of the 30 December presidential election in the vast central African country in the early hours of Thursday.
The result theoretically means the first electoral transfer of power in 59 years of independence in the DRC, but was deeply controversial because another opposition figure, Martin Fayulu, had held a healthy lead in pre-election polling.
It has also surprised some observers who believed authorities would ensure victory for the government candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, who was hand-picked by outgoing president Joseph Kabila as his successor.
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/10/congo-election-felix-tshisekedi-declared-winner-in-contentious-result
