Direct elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo occur for the Presidency, National Assembly (lower house of the legislature), and provincial assemblies. The Senate, the upper house of the legislature, is elected indirectly by members of the provincial assemblies.

The 1960 elections, held just before independence, saw Patrice Lumumba become prime minister and Joseph Kasavubu president. In 1965 Mobutu Sese Seko seized power and declared himself president amid the Congo Crisis. He was formally elected to a seven-year term in 1970. Establishing the single-party Republic of Zaire, his presidency was renewed by show elections in 1977 and 1984 while legislative elections were abolished altogether by 1975. Mobutu ruled until 1997 when Laurent Kabila seized power after the First Congo War. When Laurent Kabila was killed in 2001, his son Joseph Kabila took over the presidency while the country was going through the Second Congo War (1998–2003). The Second Congo War was officially declared over in 2003. The period that followed was relatively peaceful, with the United Nations' largest peacekeeping force maintaining the peace. However, the Ituri Conflict marred the peace, with periods of violence in the northeastern Ituri Province. In December 2005 a referendum on a new constitution was held. It was approved, paving way for the first multiparty elections in 46 years.

The first multi-party elections in the country since 1960 took place in July 2006. Kabila was elected president and was reelected in 2011. His constitutionally-mandated term ended in 2016, but the government put off a new election, citing logistical problems and the ongoing conflict in the eastern DRC. The long delayed general election finally took place on 30 December 2018, which resulted in a surprise victory for Félix Tshisekedi, although this was questioned by election observers and led to accusations of voter fraud by another opposition candidate, Martin Fayulu. The Constitutional Court of the DRC dismissed Fayulu's challenge of the result, confirming Tshisekedi as the winner. Joseph Kabila stepped down in January 2019, with Tshisekedi being inaugurated as the 5th President of the DRC on January 24. This was the first democratic transition of power in the country since it gained independence in 1960.

Latest elections

January 2018 presidential election

Candidate Party Votes %
Félix TshisekediUnion for Democracy and Social Progress7,051,01338.57
Martin FayuluDynamic of Congolese Political Opposition6,366,73234.83
Emmanuel Ramazani ShadaryIndependent4,357,35923.84
Jean-Philibert Mabaya Gizi AmineRainbow of Congo
Marie-Josée IfokuAlliance of Elites for a New Congo
Radjabho Tebabho SoboraboCongolese United for Reform
Pierre Honoré Kazadi Lukonda Ngube-NgubePeople's Front for Justice
Seth KikuniIndependent
Tryphon Kin-Kiey MulumbaIndependent
Charles LuntadilaIndependent
Sylvain Maurice MashekeIndependent
Joseph MalutaIndependent
Francis MvembaIndependent
Theodore Ngoy Ilunga wa NsengaIndependent
Alain Daniel ShekombaIndependent
Noël K. Tshiani MuadiamvitaIndependent
Gabriel Mokia MandemboMovement of Congolese Democrats
Yves MpungaPremier Political Force
Samy BadibangaThe Progressives
Invalid/blank voted–
Total18,329,318
Registered voters/turnout47.56
Source: Jeune Afrique[1]

2018 parliamentary election

Party or alliance Votes % Seats +/–
FPTP PR Total
People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) 52 56 108 Increase 46
Alliance of Democratic Forces of Congo and Allies (AFDC-A) 41 68 109 Increase 94
Union for Democracy and Social Progress-Tshisekedi (UDPS/Tshisekedi) 32 43 75 Increase 52
Alternative Action for Well-being and Change (AAB) 32 43 75 Increase 75
People's Party for Peace and Democracy (PPPD) 21 46 67 Increase 54
Social Movement (MS) 23 25 48 Increase 48
Alliance of Actors for Good Governance of Congo (AABC) 22 24 46 Increase 46
Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC) 22 23 45 Increase 45
Alliance of Democrats for Renewal and Progress (ADRP) 21 24 45 45
Alliance of Movements of Kongo (AMK) 21 20 41 41
Group of 7 (G7) 10 26 36 Increase 36
Action of allies to improve living conditions for the Congolese (AAAC) 10 26 36 Increase 36
Alliance for Building an Emerging Congo (ABCE) 11 23 34 34
Future of Congo (ACO) 12 20 32 32
Rally for the Reconstruction of Congo (RRC) 11 23 34 Increase 23
CCU Political Alliance and Allies (ALLIANCE) 8 15 23 Increase 23
Alliance for Democratic Alternative (AAD) 7 15 22 Increase 22
Christian Democrat Party (PDC) 11 11 22 Increase 22
Congolese Party for Development (PCD) 11 11 22 Increase 22
Unified Lumumbist Party and allies (PALU-A) 17 20 37 Increase 20
Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC) 14 Decrease 3
Dynamic of the Opposition (DO)
Social Movement for Renewal (MSR)
Together for Change (EPC)
Our Congo (CNB)
Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD)
Other -
Independents
Postponed 1 14 15 -
Common Front for the Congo (PPRD-PPPD-AFDC-AAB-others) 337
Lamuka Coalition (DO-MLC-EPC-PALU-CNB-MSR) 94
Direction for Change Coalition (UDPS/Tshisekedi-UNC) 46 Decrease 12
Invalid/blank votes168,136–––––
Total18,329,318100604405000
Registered voters/turnout38,542,13847.56––––
Source: Digital Congo

2018 provincial elections

Provincial assembly election results, 2018[2]
Party Votes  % Seats +/-
FPTP PR Total
Alliance of Democratic Forces of Congo and Allies (AFDC-A) 68
People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) 56
People's Party for Peace and Democracy (PPPD) 46
Alternative Action for Well-being and Change (AAB) 45
Union for Democracy and Social Progress-Tshisekedi (UDPS-Tshisekedi) 43
Action of allies to improve living conditions for the Congolese (AAAC) 26
Group of Seven (G7) 26
Social Movement (MS) 25
Alliance of Actors for Good Governance of Congo (AABC) 24
Alliance of Democrats for Renewal and Progress (ADRP) 24
Alliance for Building an Emerging Congo (ABCE) 23
Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC) 22
Rally for the Reconstruction of Congo (RRC) 22
Alliance of Movements of Kongo (AMK) 21
Unified Lumumbist Party and Allies (PALU-A) 20
Future of Congo (ACO) 20
CCU Political Alliance and Allies (ALLIANCE) 15
Alliance for Democratic Alternative (AAD) 15
Congolese Party for Development (PCD) 11
Other -
Independents
Votes cast
Blank or invalid votes
Total 100 715 65 780 Increase 90
Abstentions
Turnout 40,024,897

2019 Senate election

Composition of the Senate from March 2019[3]
Party Seats +/-
Common Front for the Congo 99
Lamuka Coalition 6 Decrease 13
Coalition for Change 3 Increase 3
Senator for life 1 New
Total 109 Increase 1

Upcoming elections

The electoral calendar for the 4th election cycle under the new constitution was released on 26 November 2022 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).[4] It consists of the following elections:[5]

  • 20 December 2023: General election for president, National Assembly, provincial assemblies, and commune councils.
  • 24 February 2024: Election of senators by provincial assemblies.
  • 12 March: Election of provincial governors by provincial assemblies.
  • 30 March: Election of city councils and burgomasters by commune councils.
  • 27 May: Election of city mayors by city councils.
  • 11 July: Election of chiefdom and sector councils.
  • 17 September: Election of sector chiefs by sector councils.

Of these the elections for the councils (commune, city, sector, and chiefdom) and the elected leaders (burgomaster, mayor, and sector chief) have never been run before under the new constitution.

See also

transition; Last update August 1, 2006

References

  1. ↑ "RDC : Félix Tshisekedi élu président, selon les résultats provisoires". 10 January 2019.
  2. ↑ "La Carte politique de la RDC après les législatives du 30 décembre 2018". Archived from the original on 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
  3. ↑ "RDC : après l'Assemblée nationale, le FCC de Kabila remporte la majorité absolue au Sénat". Archived from the original on 2019-03-21. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
  4. ↑ "RDC : La CENI publie le calendrier électoral du cycle 2022-2027". Radio Okapi (in French). 26 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  5. ↑ CENI. "Synthese du Calendrier des Activites Electorales" (PDF) (in French). Radio Okapi. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
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