US Criticizes Election, Congo Supreme Court Confirms Kabila’s Win
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Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images (KINSHASA, Congo) — On Friday, the Democratic Republic of Congo Supreme Court declared incumbent President Joseph Kabila as the winner of last month’s disputed presidentia; elections.
BBC News reports that international observers and the U.S. State department said the election was flawed, had several irregularities and was chaotic. The U.S. based Carter Center sent observers and said in some areas there were high turnouts that were not credible.
The court confirmed that Kabila received nearly 49 percent of the vote beating Etienne Tshisekedi, his main challenger who received 32 percent.
Congo held their second democratic election since independence in 1960 and the first since civil war ended in 2003. Mineral rich Congo has seen several decades of civil wars with intervention by surrounding countries representing the different factions fighting for the nation’s rich resources.
The African Union and the 11-member International Conference on the Great Lakes Region congratulated Kabila on his win and called the election a success.
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