The leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Citizenship and Development Party Martin Fayulu, on June 30, published an article claiming President Uhuru Kenyatta pushed him to accept the DRC General Election results of December 30, 2018, which he maintained were rigged.
"It was therefore especially troubling when some African countries joined in the DRC’s electoral travesty.
"I shall never forget how the Kenyan president [Uhuru Kenyatta] pressed me, via his emissaries, to surrender my (rightful) claim to the presidency and accept a position of vice-president, although it does not even exist in our constitution," reads an excerpt from Fayulu's article.
The DRC opposition leader castigated what he described as a false notion that Africans were not capable of deciding on who their leader should be.
Referencing the historic presidential election win by former Malawi opposition leader, Lazarus Chakwera on June 27, Fayulu urged his loyalists, supporters and civil rights movements to push for change.
"This attitude flows from a retrograde notion that Africans, and the Congolese in particular, are incapable of choosing their leaders freely. Yet Malawi’s encouraging example this week, where the opposition won a fresh election after a first vote was declared a fraud, points the other way," he stated.
According to the National Electoral Commission, Felix Tshisekedi received 38.5% of the vote in the December 30, 2018, election.
The full results were:
Felix Tshisekedi - 7 million votes
Martin Fayulu - 6.4 million votes
Emmanuel Shadary - 4.4 million votes
the turnout was reported to be 48%.
On January 27, 2019, President Uhuru and African Union official Raila Odinga congratulated Democratic Republic of Congo's then-president-elect Felix Tshisekedi, saying the "people had spoken."
"Congratulations President-elect Tshisekedi on your victory in the recent general elections. Your victory is a portrayal of the confidence of the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in your ideals, leadership and vision for the future," reads a section of President Uhuru congratulatory message.
"I congratulate president-elect Felix Tshisekedi on his victory and wish him all the best as he embarks on the difficult task of putting the DRC on the path of democracy, unity and prosperity. The people of the Democratic Republic of Congo spoke in the December 2018 elections. Their choices were affirmed by the relevant institutions namely the Electoral Commission and the Supreme Court," wrote Raila
Fayulu alleged foul play, claimingTshisekedi made a power-sharing deal with the incumbent President Joseph Kabila.
The opposition leader then called on his supporters to stage peaceful protests in the country.
