DR Congo election runner-up refuses to take seat as MP

KINSHASA — Martin Fayulu, the runner-up in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s controversial presidential vote, said on Wednesday he would refuse to take his seat as an MP, describing the role as inappropriate for someone who considered himself to be the country’s “elected president.”

Fayulu is pursuing a campaign of verbal opposition to the outcome of the 30 December elections, which he says were rigged. He was credited with 34,8% of the vote against 38,5% for fellow opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi. “I was elected president of the republic – I cannot fall back on being an MP, never!” he told AFP.

“I am the elected president, and this is what I consider myself to be. I cannot be both the elected president and an MP,” he said. An aide to Fayulu confirmed that Fayulu had written to the administration of the national assembly to say “he will not take his seat as a member for the city of Kinshasa.” Fayulu says the outcome of the election was a stitch-up by Tshisekedi and the outgoing president, Joseph Kabila, who was stepping down after 18 years in power. He maintains he picked up around 60% of the vote. His claims of flaws have been boosted by the powerful Catholic Church, which deployed 40 000 election observers, and the European Union. Abroad, and at home, Tshisekedi’s declared victory seems otherwise to have been largely accepted, given the country’s bloody history. Despite this, Tshisekedi (55) finds himself having to share power, braking his declared ambitions of reforming a country marked by corruption and rights abuses.

– Nampa-AF