DR Congo election fraud charges mount KINSHASA

Fraud allegations dogged presidential and legislative elections in the Democractic Republic of Congo (DRC) yesterday as preliminary results began to trickle in from the historic polls.

International observers urged candidates to respect the outcome or to lodge complaints through the correct legal channels after several minor presidential hopefuls alleged serious irregularities in the polls, the first since 1959 in the war-weary country. In the latest outcry, incumbent Vice-President Azaria Ruberwa, himself a candidate in the polls, charged ‘massive fraud’ mostly in favour of incumbent President Joseph Kabila.He demanded that a new vote be held in the districts affected.In contrast, Kabila and his main rival, rebel-turned-politician Jean-Pierre Bemba, said they saw no reason for protest, despite some irregularities and incidents of violence.By early yesterday, ballots in 90 per cent of districts had been processed and results posted on the doors of polling stations, the vice president of the Independent Electoral Commission, Norbert Basengezi, told AFP.The final nationwide count is not expected for three weeks, though, as voting was still under way in some districts and also because of the sheer size of the DRC and the ravages to its infrastructure inflicted by decades of misrule and war.Sunday’s polls in the former Zaire were the first multi-party elections since the eve of the country’s independence from Belgium 46 years ago.Turnout was not yet known, but Basengezi said participation had been high throughout the country and international observers said they were impressed by the strong mobilisation.Voting was extended into Monday in 226 districts in the central province of Kasai, where the process was disrupted after supporters of a party that boycotted the polls threw stones and torched polling stations at the weekend.Another 12 districts near to Mweka in western Kasai remained open yesterdaty.Voting at those polling stations was due to end definitively during the afternoon.Basengezi said any complaints of fraud would be examined by the Supreme Court but added that the DRC could be proud of the way the elections had been carried out.Nampa-AFPIn the latest outcry, incumbent Vice-President Azaria Ruberwa, himself a candidate in the polls, charged ‘massive fraud’ mostly in favour of incumbent President Joseph Kabila.He demanded that a new vote be held in the districts affected.In contrast, Kabila and his main rival, rebel-turned-politician Jean-Pierre Bemba, said they saw no reason for protest, despite some irregularities and incidents of violence.By early yesterday, ballots in 90 per cent of districts had been processed and results posted on the doors of polling stations, the vice president of the Independent Electoral Commission, Norbert Basengezi, told AFP.The final nationwide count is not expected for three weeks, though, as voting was still under way in some districts and also because of the sheer size of the DRC and the ravages to its infrastructure inflicted by decades of misrule and war.Sunday’s polls in the former Zaire were the first multi-party elections since the eve of the country’s independence from Belgium 46 years ago.Turnout was not yet known, but Basengezi said participation had been high throughout the country and international observers said they were impressed by the strong mobilisation.Voting was extended into Monday in 226 districts in the central province of Kasai, where the process was disrupted after supporters of a party that boycotted the polls threw stones and torched polling stations at the weekend.Another 12 districts near to Mweka in western Kasai remained open yesterdaty.Voting at those polling stations was due to end definitively during the afternoon.Basengezi said any complaints of fraud would be examined by the Supreme Court but added that the DRC could be proud of the way the elections had been carried out.Nampa-AFP