Democracy News

Kabila Wins DR Congo Vote; Fraud Allegations May Lead to Increased Instability
December 14, 2011
By: Mark Hsen | Printer Friendly

On December 9, 2011 incumbent Joseph Kabila was announced the winner of the 2011 Democratic Republic of Congo's presidential election by Congo's Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).  According to the Financial Times, Kabila won with 48.97 percent of the vote with 8.88 million votes. However, the election was marred by widespread allegations of fraud and delays. Opposition rivals rejected the results as "totally unacceptable." Main rival Etienne Tshisekedi came in second place with 32 percent. 

Both sides have claimed victory, and it is unlikely that either side will compromise.  Tshisekedi is known for his uncompromising manner, and is unlikely to accept a government position as part of a trade-off. Main opposition parties have rallied behind Tshisekedi and have called on the international community to help solve the crisis.    

As reported by the Financial Times, diplomats have urged the need for stability, and have downplayed allegations of vote rigging. However, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has warned that overlooking flawed polls would undermine the integrity of democracy, and would lead to further instability. 

Polling was chaotic in many regions of the country, especially areas without road infrastructure. This led to difficulties sending and collecting voting materials. UN peacekeepers airlifted ballots to some 60,000 polling stations across the nation, which is about two-thirds the size of Western Europe. There were widespread allegations of irregularities and opaque counting.     

CENI and the Supreme Court must ratify results by December 17. However, Kabila loyalists maintain significant control over both bodies.  Tshisekedi has argued that the court lacks sufficient independence to rule fairly on electoral challenges. According to the Washington Post, Kabila loyalists are also heavily present in the army and the police.  Loyalists have undertaken a campaign of intimidation. UN investigators have documented 188 violations related to the electoral process, with national police and intelligence services perpetrating most of the abuses.

According to BBC News, both the European Union (EU) and the Carter Center have criticized the results, while the African Union (AU) has praised the poll as a success.  The Carter Center sent 26 teams to observe the elections. Among the many irregularities, the Carter Center identified significant differences in the vote count between areas where Kabila and Tshisekedi respectively held support. In Kabila-loyal areas, voter turnout was reported at 99 to 100 percent.  In areas that supported Tshisekedi, such as the capital Kinshasa, results from nearly 2,000 polling stations were lost.  BBC New additionally reported that results from more than 3,000 polling stations nationwide were lost, representing as many as 1.2 million voters.        

The United States has also issued a statement calling the elections "seriously flawed" and stated that they "did not measure up to the democratic gains we have seen in recent African elections."  The United States has encouraged the relevant authorities to closely review the cited irregularities and to proceed with maximum openness and transparency.

In the run-up to the vote, there were several incidents of violence. Reuters reports violence in at least 4 polling stations in the southern part of the country. According to Voice of America, Human Rights Watch reported at least 18 people killed and 100 injured. Tshisekedi has called on his supporters to remain calm and urged the international community to step in to avoid potential violence. 

The election was the DR Congo's second election since the end of the 1998 to 2003 war, where an estimated 5 million people died. In this 2011 election, there were 11 presidential candidates, and as many as 18,500 candidates running for 500 parliamentary seats.   

For previous news on the DRC, please see:
DRC Announces General Election Date

Sources:
Financial Times – DRC opposition rejects Kabila re-election

Washington Post – Congo elections to unfold under a cloud of unrest and controversy

U.S. Department of State – Press Statement: Provisional Results of the Presidential Election in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Voice of America – Kabila Named Winner of DRC Election; Tshisekedi Rejects Results

Voice of America – U.S. Calls DRC Vote "Seriously Flawed"

BBC News – DR Congo votes amid delays and violence

BBC News – DR Congo election results delayed by 48 hours

Voice of America – Observers Question Integrity of DRC Vote