After a chaotic campaign marred by allegations of fraud, electoral violence, and logistical setbacks, the presidential and legislative elections in DR Congo faced disruptions as polling stations experienced lengthy delays on the morning of Wednesday, December 20. Reports indicate that voters encountered extended wait times at numerous polling stations in the capital, Kinshasa, and other urban centers, with openings delayed by approximately two hours. ALSO READ: DR Congo blocks EAC electoral observers Incumbent President Félix Tshisekedi is in competition with 18 other candidates, vying for the presidency in an election where over 44 million people are registered to vote. Delays were reported in towns in DR Congo's volatile east and in Kinshasa, where voting materials had not arrived at polling stations and voter lists were not published. ALSO READ: Ruto to DR Congo: I cannot arrest people for making a statement It is a total chaos, opposition presidential candidate Martin Fayulu, who was runner up in the disputed 2018 presidential election, said, noting that while the vote was well organised in Gombe district in the capital where he voted, it was not the case in the rest of the country. If all the people don't vote in all the polling stations indicated by the CENI (national election commission), we won't accept these elections, Fayulu warned. In the northeastern town of Bunia, individuals who had fled violence and were unable to return to their home villages to vote expressed their frustration by attacking a polling station, causing damage to voting machines before police intervened to restore order. Voters reportedly waited in long queues at many polling stations in the capital, and other cities as they opened about two hours late, with ballot papers being delivered at the last minute.
