He’s  obliged  leaders of the ruling 18-party coalition to sign a pledge of loyalty to him.

Joseph Kabila has handed the DRC presidency to Etienne Tshisekedi.

But he retains control of parliament where the coalition led by his Common Front for Congo has an overwhelming majority.

When it became clear the coalition’s presidential candidate Emmanuel Shadary was not going to be elected, Kabila made a deal with Thisekedi.

But ensuring the security of the  parliament ary party leaders, Kabila’s guaranteeing  his influence in with the legislature that will enable him springboard back to the presidency in 2023 as the law allows. 

The post Joseph Kabila demands a pledge of loyalty from his ruling coalition leaders appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Opposition coalition candidate Martin Fayulu who was a clear favourite in pre-election opinion polls has called the outcome an electoral coup.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian calls for calm in the Democratic Republic of Congo and for certainty with results which are the reverse of what was expected.

Losing governing coalition candidate Emmanuel Shadary accepts that Felix Tshisekedi beat him for the Presidency.

However Martin Fayulu, who was widely expected to win the race, says the results were fabricated in the offices of the ruling coalition and don’t reflect the reality of the ballot box.

Fayulu fears they will spark disturbances across the country. 

The post French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian says Congolese election outcome does not tally with results on the ground appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The electoral commission says he won 39% of the vote in the poll on December 30.

The commission says he  beat opposition coalition candidate Martin Fayulu and ruling party contender Emmanuel Shadary.

The much-awaited result from the Congolese electoral commission is at odds with the tally of the Catholic Church which had 40 000 observers in the field for the election.

They say Martin Fayulu, the opposition coalition candidate won the  most votes.

Observers fear that Felix Tshisikedi has made power sharing deal with outgoing President Joseph Kabila.

The election should give the DRC its first democratic change of President.

Diplomats fear if there is a stand off, it could lead to violence.

The post DRC election commission declares Felix Tshisikedi winner of Presidential election appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

He’s urging the electoral commission to publish that results in the near future.

As a  businessman and oil tycoon, Martin Fayulu learned the art of the deal.

But he’s adamant there will be no horse trading over who wins the Presidential election in the DRC.

He says the people already know the winner.

He stops short of claiming victory himself which would be breaking the law.

But Fayulu warns the authorities against trying to disguise the truth.

Fayulu and another opposition candidate Felix Tshisikedi are believed to have shaded Emmanuel Shadary who was picked by the ruling coalition to succeed President Joseph Kabila in the Congo’s first democratic change of leadership in its history. 

The post Martin Fayulu says the DRC presidential election results are not negotiable appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

He was speaking after a plenary meeting of the commission he says is still waiting for some tally sheets from far-flung polling stations.

Corneille Nangaa, the head of the electoral commission known as CENI has a diplomatic gun to his head.

He has to have produced elections results by the time the United Nations Security Council meets on Friday to deliberate on the DRC.

Martin Fayulu, the opposition coalition candidate widely believed to have won the election is now concerned the ruling party will try to strike a power sharing deal, giving their candidate Emmanuel Shadary some say in government.

Fayulu insists the will of the Congolese people has to be respected.

The post DRC election results could be announced within 48 hours, says CENI chief appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Opposition activists are saying that even with the eyes of the world on them, the government of Joseph Kabila is trying to manipulate the result.

Diplomatic sources in the DRC say opposition candidate Martin Fayulu has beaten the government contenders Emmanuel Shadary by at least 30 points.

They base this on 40 000 observers from the Catholic Church and others from local NGOs.

Electoral Commission head Corneille Nangaa says only 47% of tally sheets have come into headquarters in Kinshasa  from the vast central African country…

….so he can’t say when the results will be announced.

President Donald Trump’s deployed troops to Gabon, one of the Congo’s nine neighbours, to protect US citizens if violence breaks out.

The post Fears of violence as DRC election results are delayed appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The Kinshasa government says the church has broken the law by making this assertion ahead of provisional results from the electoral commission known as CENI.

The DRC government slams yesterday’s call by the Catholic church to release the results of the election in the name of truth and justice.

It accuses the church of being irresponsible and anarchist.

CENI is scheduled to release provisional results tomorrow.

However, it says the tardy flow of information from polling stations will probably delay this.

The United States and the European Union have called for the early announcement of accurate results.

Detractors accuse outgoing President Joseph Kabila of being reluctant to accept the electoral defeat of his hand-picked successor Emmanuel Shadary by either Martin Fayulu or Felix Tshisekedi   

The post DRC authorities accuse the Catholic Church of fomenting insurrection appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

It calls on the authorities to announce it now and quell the mounting storm.

The Catholic Church says data in its possession from vote counting from polling stations designates the selection of one candidate.

It does not name the aspirant.

It calls on the electoral commission known as CENI to publish the result in keeping with truth and justice.

CENI says the results are coming in too slowly and it will delay publication of interim results originally scheduled for Sunday.

Detractors say this is because the ruling coalition does not wish to acknowledge defeat for its candidate Emmanuel Shadary who was handpicked to succeed President Joseph Kabila who’s been in power for 17 years.

The post Catholic Church says it knows who won the DRC Presidential election appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Authorities say internet and sms services won’t be restored until provisional results are published on January 6.

Presidential advisor Barnabe Karubi says fictitious election results circulating on social media could lead the DRC straight into chaos.

That’s why the internet and sms will be cut until Sunday.

The signal of a popular news source, Radio France International, has been cut in the DRC.

Accrediation of the RFI chief correspondent has been withdrawn because the service broadcast unofficial results.

These show opposition candidates Martin Fayulu and Felix Tshisikedi comfortably ahead of the ruling coalition’s Emmanuel Shadary. 

The post Internet and sms remain blocked in Congo until provisional election results are published next Sunday appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Election observers are complaining  that they are being denied access to the count.

The diplomatic note to President Joseph Kabila was delivered by Britain’s Ambassador to Kinshasa.

The European Union’s chief envoy has been expelled from the DRC.

The United States, Canada and Switzerland have joined the call on the DRC government to abandon its plan to block social media until interim election results are published on Sunday.

Unofficial results after three days of counting shows ruling alliance candidate Emmanuel Shadary trailing opposition runners Felix Tshisekedi and Martin Fayulu.

The post Western powers urged DRC to restore internet connection appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.