Absolutely scandalous due to an electoral scam acknowledged by all witnesses, Félix Tshisekedi’s rise to the presidency of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC, December 2018-January 2019) didn’t spark much public outrage back then. Fast forward to today, Tshisekedi’s unpopularity has reached new depths, and he is planning an electoral fraud against his political rivals, which will result into a nationwide revolt.
To start, Tshisekedi has seized absolute control over all institutions, notably the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), set to play a key role in broadcasting the election results. Consequently, victory, whether tainted by fraud or not, appears destined to fall into his hands. Furthermore, Tshisekedi has orchestrated a reshuffle within the Constitutional Court and the much feared Agence Nationale de Renseignements (ANR), which functions more like a political tool to suppress the opposition than an intelligence bureau. All these elements align to facilitate the unpopular Tshisekedi in hijacking the Congolese elections.
Secondly, numerous ballots have already been pre-marked and verified in favor of Tshisekedi. Martin Fayulu, widely considered the rightful winner of the 2018 elections, will vehemently reject these results, and Moïse Katumbi, armed with his widespread popularity, will not accept them either. In the broader opposition’s collective stance, there is no way they will accept the fraudulent ballots manipulated by Tshisekedi’s henchmen. Consequently, a massive uprising is on the horizon post-election, reminiscent of the arab Spring.
Thirdly, in many provinces of the DRC, there are no polling stations, no CENI agents, and no voting machines in sight. The National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) has already exposed these deliberate logistical maneuvers by Tshisekedi as a calculated strategy to rig the elections. The Congolese populace is well aware of this treachery and is gearing up to take the fight to the streets, utilizing every means to put an end to Tshisekedi’s five-year-long reign of kleptomania and corruption.
In the grand scheme of things, irrespective of Tshisekedi’s electoral shenanigans, one thing is certain – the real casualties will be the Congolese citizens if all they are willing to do is exercise their right to vote. As highlighted by political science professor, Gene Sharp, “Autocrats don’t exactly host elections that jeopardize their grip on power,” and Tshisekedi is an authoritarian despot who’s already manipulated the electoral outcome long before the Congolese populace gets a chance to mark their ballots.
ellenkampire