DRC: Poll crisis deepens as election runner-up declares self president as Court declares Tshisekedi winner

The post election crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo may have reached boiling point after the country’s Constitutional Court confirmed the win of Felix Tshisekedi in the just concluded polls marred by irregularities.

However, election runner-up Martin Fayulu has rejected the announcement and has promptly declared himself the country’s “only legitimate president”.

Reports say Fayulu has urged his supporters to take to the streets to peacefully protest what he called a “constitutional coup d’etat,” accusing the court of validating false results. “It’s no secret … that you have elected me president,” he said.

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“I consider myself the only legitimate president of the Democratic Republic of Congo. I call on the Congolese people not to recognise someone who would take on that role illegitimately, nor to obey the orders coming from him,” he said.

The confirmation of Tshisekedi as the winner of the DRC polls comes a day after the African Union has called for a delay in announcing poll result citing serious doubts.

The AU has agreed to urgently send ‘high-level delegation’ to Kinshasa to find way out of DRC’s political turmoil following last month’s disputed presidential elections.

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