Election officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo have again delayed the results of presidential and legislative elections. Opposition supporters are rejecting partial returns that show President Joseph Kabila heading for reelection.
Electoral Commission head Daniel Ngoy-Mulunda says results will be postponed for a third day because officials have not completed comparing vote totals sent electronically with those recorded on tally sheets at each polling station. He said it is a huge job that must be done right to assure the credibility of the totals announced. Results from last month’s presidential and legislative elections were to be announced on Tuesday. That was postponed until Thursday and has now been pushed back to Friday.
With results from nearly 90 percent of precincts released, President Kabila looks set to win a second term as he is leading his closest rival by more than two million votes. Analysts say the wait for complete results is less about the final figures and more about how supporters of opposition candidate Etienne Tshisekedi will react.
There were many problems with these elections, including the late delivery of ballots that stretched voting to a third day in some areas.
The United States and Britain are urging the Electoral Commission to publish the results polling station by polling station, so parties can compare those figures with what was reported on the ground. Britain’s Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell told parliament that results broken down by polling stations will help facilitate what he called “any necessary appeals.”
Full Article: Congo Election Results Delayed Again | News | English.
