DR Congo’s ruling party wins majority of seats in legislative elections

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) – The Democratic Republic of Congo’s ruling Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) party of President Felix Tshisekedi won the majority of seats in December parliamentary elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced Sunday.

UDPS won 69 seats in the 500-member National Assembly ahead of 44 other parties, according to the results.

This was followed by the Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC) party led by Tshisekedi's ally, Economy Minister Vital Kamerhe, with 36 seats.

Other parties led by Tshisekedi's allies such as Senate President Modeste Bahati Lukwebo and Defense Minister Jean Pierre Bemba won 35 and 17 seats respectively.

Observers say the results give Tshisekedi a comfortable majority needed to name a new government.

Most of the president's allies, including National Assembly President Christophe Mboso, Senate President Modeste Bahati Lukwebo and Prime Minister Sama Lukonde, as well as deputy prime ministers such as Vital Kamerhe, Jean-Pierre Lihau and Christophe Lutundula were elected.

Opposition leader Moise Katumbi's Together for the Republic party meanwhile emerged as the main opposition force with 22 seats, despite the fact that some of its main cadres, including spokesman Herve Diakiese, failed to sail through.

The UDPS and its coalition controlled over 390 seats in the outgoing assembly.

The results were announced days after the Constitutional Court confirmed Tshisekedi's re-election in the December general election.

Tshisekedi, 60, took office in 2019 and is expected to be sworn in on Jan. 20 for a second five-year term to lead sub-Saharan Africa’s largest country.

DR Congo's opposition parties disputed the election as fraud and unsuccessfully called for a fresh poll as the electoral commission insists the election was credible.

The national electoral body invalidated votes cast for 82 of the 101,000 parliamentary candidates over alleged fraud.
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