Polling stations have opened in the Democratic Republic of Congo's general election that pits the incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi against a fragmented opposition, while much of the east of the country is mired in conflict.
Polling stations opened this Wednesday at 6 am local time and will close at 5 pm this evening.
First voters cast their ballot at polling stations in the eastern city of Kisangani, which sits in a region an hour ahead of the west of the country, which straddles two time zones.
Voting then began in several other cities, but with some delays and bureaucratic difficulties reported.
Logistical problems have plagued the organisation of this election, with the electoral commission struggling to transport voting materials to tens of thousands of polling booths on time.
Polls reportedly began to open at 9 am in Kinshasa after long delays in setting up.
Voters still waiting in line by 5 pm will be given tokens and polling booths will stay open until they cast their votes, according to an official at the electoral commission.
#DRC-#Elections: Congo's election chief @dkadimaofficiel says "If the electoral material arrives really late, in any case people are going to vote, even if it means doing it the next day. I'm not going to tell you that all the polling stations will open on time and all will close… pic.twitter.com/wKSehSMnGL
— Saleh Mwanamilongo (@SMwanamilongo1) December 19, 2023
The government declared this Wednesday a bank holiday, and as during previous elections, it has closed the borders and suspended domestic flights.
Around 44 million Congolese, in a nation of 100 million, are registered to choose their president as well as lawmakers in national and provincial assemblies, along with local councillors.
More than 100,000 candidates are running for various positions, and while counting is set to begin as soon as polling stations close, results are not expected to be announced for several days.
Several observation missions are watching the voting process, with the largest one run by a union of Catholic and Protestant churches that have mobilised 25,000 election observers.
'Foreign candidates'
The 60-year-old incumbent, Félix Tshisekedi faces 18 challengers for the presidency.
Tshisekedi – who took office in 2019 and is running for a second five-year term – is considered the front-runner to win in the single-round presidential vote.
However, his record – as he himself has acknowledged – is mixed.
He has presided over years of economic growth but little job creation and soaring inflation.
He is asking for another term to "consolidate his gains".
Throughout the campaign, he also poured scorn on what he termed "foreign candidates" – suggesting that his opponents have dual loyalties and lack the will to stand up to Rwanda, which the DRC accuses of funding rebel groups on its soil in the east of the country.
Moise Katumbi, a 58-year-old businessman and former governor of mineral-rich Katanga province, is the main target of such attacks.
Armed conflict in eastern DRC overshadowed much of the electoral campaign. Militias have plagued the troubled region for decades, a legacy of regional wars that flared in the 1990s and 2000s.
#Élections2023| JOUR DU VOTE | A Kwilu Ngongo, territoire de Mbanza-Ngungu (Kongo Central), les congolais exercent déjà leur droit de vote ce 20 décembre 2023.
— Ceni-RDC (@cenirdc) December 20, 2023
[Image amateure] pic.twitter.com/7G5APG6iJ4
Polls in the shadow of the M23 rebel group
Tensions have resumed since the M23 group – which is allegedly backed by Rwanda – began capturing swathes of territory in late 2021.
Clashes with M23 fighters have subsided in recent weeks but the rebels continue to hold sway over large parts of North Kivu province.
Citizens living in those areas will not be able to vote.
Other presidential candidates include Martin Fayulu, a 67-year-old former oil executive who says he was the true winner of the 2018 election that brought Tshisekedi to power.
Surgical gynaecologist Denis Mukwege, who won the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his work helping rape victims, is also in the running.
All the major opposition candidates say they suspect the government of preparing electoral fraud.
