Congo Swears In Felix Tshisekedi As President Despite Controversy

Republic of Congo sworn in Felix Tshisekedi has her new
president on Thursday, marking the first peaceful – though not
undisputed – transfer of power in the troubled country’s
history.

The inauguration in Kinshasa was full of pomp and ceremony and
ushered in the end of more than two decades of rule by the Kabila
family.

“Our Congo will not be a Congo of hate and tribalism,”
Tshisekedi said at the ceremony. “Our fight will be to improve the
lives of each citizen.”

The December elections were the first time an opposition leader
won at the polls, but they were not without controversy. Another
opposition leader, Martin Fayulu, has alleged fraud.

Fayulu claims that after President Joseph Kabila’s chosen
successor and ruling party candidate lost the vote, Kabila and
Tshisekedi did a back-room deal.

Voting tallies by the influential Catholic Church, as well as
results leaked to several foreign newspapers, also appear to show
Fayulu was the winner.

While the international community had been slow to congratulate
Tshisekedi, most have now come on board, presumably wishing to
avoid an outbreak of violence in a country that has already seen
many conflicts.

On Tuesday night, the US State Department joined countries
including France and South Africa in congratulating Tshisekedi –
though with a caveat.

The statement encouraged the government “to address reports of
electoral irregularities.”

“We also recognize President Joseph Kabila’s commitment to
becoming the first president in DRC history to cede power
peacefully through an electoral process,” it added.

There was high security in Kinshasa for the inauguration on
Thursday.

Fayulu told dpa on the eve of the event that the swearing in of
Tshisekedi was like “spitting on the truth.”

“No serious president will be present at this deception
ceremony,” he said of foreign leaders.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta was in attendance at the
swearing-in, as was Zimbabwe’s Vice President Constantino
Chiwenga.

In an odd turn of events, Tshisekedi briefly left his own
inauguration ceremony in the company of medical personnel.

However, a few minutes later he reappeared and continued with
his address. “I felt weak for a moment,” he explained.

Tshisekedi has a political lineage as his father was an
opposition politician before him.

The 55-year-old, who sports glasses and often dons a tweed golf
cap, joined his father Etienne Tshisekedi’s political party, the
Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), as a young man.

He has a degree in marketing and communications from a
university in Belgium – Congo’s former colonizer – and has worked
in Europe in marketing.

Tshisekedi won about 7 million votes compared to Fayulu’s 6.3
million, according to the country’s electoral commission.

The December 30 elections – which were delayed for two years as
Kabila clung to power beyond his term – were plagued by problems,
including a fire that destroyed voting machines, militant attacks
and an ebola outbreak.

Among the many election setbacks was that voting did not take
place in three areas of the country, with the electoral commission
putting it off due to ebola and violence.

Those regions have been told they can vote in March, but with
the new president already sworn in, over a million voters have
effectively been disenfranchised.

The Central African country has been plagued by wars and is also
home to numerous militias – some fighting along ethnic lines and
others over lucrative mineral resources.

Congo has abundant deposits of copper, gold and diamonds, as
well as cobalt and coltan, which is highly sought-after because of
its use in mobile phones.

The mineral wealth has not however trickled down and millions of
Congolese remain mired in poverty.

US, UK Warns Politicians on 2019 Elections

The United States and the United Kingdom announce repercussions,
including visa restrictions, for election interference and
election-related violence.

U.S. Statement
The conduct of the upcoming elections in Nigeria is important not
only for Nigeria, but for the African continent.

The United States government does not support any specific
candidate or party in Nigeria’s upcoming elections. The United
States supports the Nigerian democratic process itself. We support
a genuinely free, fair, transparent, and peaceful electoral
process.

We, and other democratic nations, will be paying close attention
to actions of individuals who interfere in the democratic process
or instigate violence against the civilian population before,
during, or after the elections. We will not hesitate to consider
consequences – including visa restrictions – for those found to be
responsible for election-related violence or undermining the
democratic process. Under U.S. immigration law, certain violations
may also lead to restrictions on family members.
We welcome the signing of peace pledges by Nigerian candidates and
their commitment to a peaceful electoral process.
……….

UK Statement
23 days to the Presidential and National Assembly elections and 37
days to the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections, the British
High Commission in Abuja would like to reaffirm our strong support
for free, fair and peaceful elections in Nigeria.

We and our international partners remain committed supporters of
Nigeria’s democracy. We do not support any party or individual and
believe that the Nigerian people should be able to choose their
leaders in an environment free from hate speech and insecurity.

We continue to provide significant support to Nigeria’s
Independent National Electoral Commission and to Nigerian civil
society to help them deliver credible elections. We also regularly
engage with actors across the political spectrum to encourage them
to respect electoral rules and maintain an atmosphere of peace and
calm. We will be deploying an extensive observation mission for the
forthcoming elections, including coordinating with the EU’s
Election Observation Mission.

Our monitors will in particular be looking out for any attempts
to encourage or use violence to influence the elections, including
on social media. We would like to remind all Nigerians that where
the UK is aware of such attempts, this may have consequences for
individuals. These could include their eligibility to travel to the
UK, their ability to access UK based funds or lead to prosecution
under international law.

The UK is a friend and partner of Nigeria. We hope our continued
support will play a role in helping Nigeria take a further step
towards consolidating the progress made since democracy returned in
1999.

PRNigeria