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DRCONGO-VOTE-WIN LEAD
Opposition’s Tshisekedi declared winner of DRC presidential poll
KINSHASA, Jan 10, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi
has won the long-awaited presidential poll in the Democratic Republic of
Congo, the electoral commission said Thursday, paving the way for the
country’s first handover of power in 18 years.
“Having gained… 38.57 percent of the vote, Felix Tshisekedi is
provisionally declared the elected president of the Democratic Republic of
Congo,” said Corneille Nangaa, the head of the Independent National Election
Commission (CENI).
Shouts of joy erupted at the commission’s offices as the historic results
were announced.
The DRC has been in the grip of a two-year-old crisis over the succession
of President Joseph Kabila, who said last year he would step down after
nearly two decades in power.
The candidate he hand-picked to succeed him, loyalist, former interior
minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, came third in the poll.
The other main opposition candidate, former oil executive Martin Fayulu —
who was tipped as favourite in the few pre-election opinion polls — came
second, official results showed.
According to the initial timetable set out by the CENI, the definitive
results are due on January 15 with the swearing-in of the new president three
days later.
The result could still be appealed in the Constitutional Court.
BSS/AFP/FI/0842 hrs