Authorities in Kinshasa have prevented a rally by  Martin Fayulu who persists that he won the election.

Police removed the podium and speakers outside Martin Fayulu’s party headquarters where he was due to address supporters.

He’s refused President-elect Felix Tshisekedi’s invitation to work together because he maintains the election was stolen.

Invitations to Tshisekedi’s inauguration have been sent to foreign leaders.

It will be interesting to see who attends after the African Union, the European Union, France and Belgium have expressed serious doubts about the official results presented by the electoral commission and upheld by the constitutional court.

The post Presidential inauguration delayed in DRC appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The European grouping calls on all parties to refrain from any action that could lead to violence.

The EU statement notes that the African Union has serious doubts about the DRC poll results announced by the electoral commission and upheld by the constitutional court.

The Financial Times reports seeing documented evidence that proves Martin Fayulu won the election – confirming the information from more than 40 000 observers from the Catholic Church and justifying the misgivings of the African continental body and the governments of France and Belgium.

So far, the Presidents of South Africa and Kenya have congratulated Etienne Tshisekedi as President elect. 

The post EU still doubts Congo election result appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The African Union, which says there are serious doubts about the figures presented to support Tshisekedi’s win, has scrapped plans to send a delegation to the Congo.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Keyatta say yesterday’s ruling by the Constitutional Court in Kinshasa confirms Felix Tshisekedi’s election win requires 

all actors to respect this exercise of DRC national sovereignty.

Martin Fayulu, who claims he won 60% of the vote calls on supporters to demonstrate peacefully against what he calls a constitutional coup d’etat.

The European Union has joined the African Union, France, Belgium and the Catholic bishops in casting doubt on the figures produced by the electoral commission in the DRC.

The post AU scraps plans to send an urgent post election delegation to DRC appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Presidential spokesperson Lambert Mende notes the court ruling and asserts that Tshisekedi will become the Congo’s fifth president.

Martin Fayulu, who’s claim to have won the election with 60% of the vote was thrown out by the Constitutional Court, appeals to Congolese and the international community to reject what he calls a constitutional coup d’etat.

Felix Tshisekedi says the ruling is a victory for the Congo because he has a program of reconciliation.

The African Union says there are serious problems with the figures and  urges the Kinshasa authorities to suspended announcing a final result.

France, Belgium and the Catholic Bishops all say the provisional result from the electoral commission do not tally with observers’ figures on the ground. 

The post Constitutional Court upholds Felix Tshisekedi’s Congo Presidential poll win appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Their statements come ahead of the arrival in Kinshasa of a delegation from the African Union that says there are serious doubts about the result of the Presidential poll in Congo.

The statements from President Cyril Ramaphosa and SADC come after the Constitutional Court in the DRC threw out an appeal against the provisional election result by Martin Fayulu who claims to have won more than twice the 34,8% of votes allocated to  him by the electoral commission.

The African Union joins France, Belgium and the Catholic Bishops in expressing serious doubts about the commission’s figures.

It remains to be seen if the continental body will recognize Tshisikedi if, as planned, he is inaugurated within 10 days.

The post Ramaphosa and SADC jump the gun congratulating Felix Tshisekedi as Congo’s President-elect appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The continental body says there are serious doubts about the provisional results declaring Felix Tshisekedi the winner.

The African Union statement says a high level delegations is being urgently despatched to the DRC to find way out of the country’s post-election crisis.

Martin Fayulu, widely thought to have won the poll, has demanded a recount of ballots cast on December 30.

The Constitutional Court could rule on this as early as today.

AU heads of state and government meeting in Addis Ababa yesterday expressed serious doubts about the conformity of results proclaimed by the Congolese electoral commission with tallies recorded by observers on the ground.

There are fears of violence of these provisional results are confirmed. 

The post Africa Union urges delay in publishing DRC Presidential election results 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.

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.

He urges the commission know as CENI to complete the process to ensure the credibility of the election and maintaining stability.

Diplomats note that President Cyril Ramaphosa has not congratulated Felix Tshisekedi who was named as Congo’s next president.

Ramaphosa’s playing his cards cautiously. South Africa’s  increasingly drawn into the DRC imbroglio given its mediation history in that country.

He too is waiting for the Catholic bishops to comment on the provisional results that pre-election favorite Martin Fayulu has called an electoral coup.

South Africa will be in the spotlight at the United Nations Security Council tomorrow.

France has called  for the meeting on the DRC and its Foreign Minister Yves le Drian says the provisional results from the DRC don’t tally with results from polling stations.

The post President Cyril Ramaphosa stops short of congratulating Felix Tshisekedi appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

It says the figures produced by the electoral commission making Felix Tshisekedi the winner don’t tally with figures from its more than 40 000 observers at polling stations across the country.

The Catholic bishops have yet to say officially who they believe won the December 30 Presidential election in the DRC.

But they’re adamant it was not Felix Tshiseki who was declared the winner this morning.

The electoral commission say that on a 48% turnout he won 38,57% of the votes.

That 600 000 more votes that pre-election favourite Martin Fayulu.

The bishops say their figures give the victory to someone else.

It’s an open secret that this was Fayulu who has ten days to dispute the provisional results.

The post Catholic Church casts doubt on provisional results of DRC presidential election appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.