An election official checks the identity cards of people who are waiting to vote in the Democratic Republic of Congo's parliamentary and presidential election after authorities extended opening hours for polling stations that failed to open the previous day, in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo December 21, 2023. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo
BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) -A group of Congolese opposition candidates have written to the governor of Kinshasa to say they will hold a joint protest next week over the country's disputed general election, as foreign embassies called on all sides to show restraint.
Election disputes often fuel unrest in Democratic Republic of Congo and risk further destabilising a country with globally important reserves of cobalt and copper, and which is battling widespread poverty and an eastern security crisis.
Delays during Wednesday's election led to an extension of voting, which some opposition candidates and independent observers said compromises the credibility of the vote.
Five presidential candidates plan to hold the protest in the capital on Dec. 27, according to a Dec. 22 letter to the Kinshasa governor shared on social media platform X by Jean-Marc Kabunda, a representative of candidate Martin Fayulu.
The letter said they would protest alleged irregularities during the vote and the extension, which "sufficiently demonstrate that on Dec. 20, 2023, the elections were a sham".
Election commission CENI has acknowledged there were delays on Dec. 20 that meant some polling stations failed to open, but denied the credibility of the election was compromised by extending some voting.
Full provisional election results are expected by Dec. 31, with daily updates released from Saturday. These results will determine whether incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi or one of his 18 challengers won the vote.
In a sign of growing concern over the aftermath of the election, 13 embassies in Kinshasa, including those of Germany and France, released a joint statement on Saturday calling for calm.
FRAUGHT CAMPAIGN
"As the vote counting continues, we urge all stakeholders, especially political actors, candidates and their supporters, to exercise restraint, allow the process to unfold, and raise their concerns peacefully," they said.
The chaotic election day capped a fraught campaign in which at least 19 people were killed in election-related violence and the opposition and observers warned of widespread issues they said would enable fraud. CENI and the presidency denied this.
The team of prominent opposition challenger Moise Katumbi on Saturday said they were concerned about how results were being compiled.
"There is total disorder and an uncontrolled lack of transparency," said Katumbi's campaign spokesperson Herve Diakese, adding that most of their monitors had seen access to the process blocked.
Katumbi is not one of the candidates organising the protest, but his team supports any constitutional initiative aimed at resisting another electoral robbery, Diakese told Reuters, when asked if Katumbi would join the planned march.
In a sign of further electoral setbacks, local authorities in eastern Lubero territory told Reuters that voting had still not taken place in five small centres that are accessible only by air or foot, because rain had delayed the delivery of election materials .
Voting there is now expected to be held on Sunday if couriers walk through the night, said Paluku Maker, an official for Bapere sector.
(Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Alexander Smith and David Holmes)
