DR Congo Elections 2023: All You Need to Know

Source: Baz Ratner/ Reuters

The people of the Democratic Republic of Congo will be heading to the polls come 20th December 2023 to elect a president who will lead the country for the next 5 years. Approximately 44 million registered voters from a population of roughly 102 million are expected to participate in this very important exercise to elect a president, members of the national legislature, as well as local councilors. With few days to the election, the African Elections Project provides an overview of all there is to know about the upcoming general elections in Congo.

Who are the Main Candidates?

In all, 24 candidates have been cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) to contest the upcoming election. However, analysts predict that the race will be keenly contested among 4 contestants. They are incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi, former Oil Executive Martin Fayulu, former Katanga Governor Moise Katumbi, and Nobel Prize-Winning Gynaecologist Dr Dennis Mukwege.

How does the Electoral System work?

The Democratic Republic of the Congo uses the first-past-the-post voting system for its presidential elections. This means that the candidate who receives the most votes in the first round is declared the winner and becomes the next president.

The president is mandated by law to serve a five-year term, renewable only once. This year's presidential election will be combined with the election of members for both the national and provincial parliaments, as well as local councilors.

When will the results be declared?

According to the electoral laws, provisional results are expected to be announced on December 31, however, the possibility of an earlier release exists if the results are ready ahead of schedule, although historical precedent shows that the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) traditionally prefers to wait until the counting of votes is completed across the country before officially declaring the winner.

How many people are expected to vote?

According to the CENI close to 44 million people are expected to cast their ballot on the election day.

What are the key issues for voters?

Voters face a complex array of issues influencing their choices at the polls. Paramount among these is the urgent need for poverty reduction. Despite the world’s largest producer of cobalt and the third largest producer of copper, poverty is still very prevalent in DRC, with about 60% of the population living on less than $2.15 a day, according to the World Bank.

Corruption is also widespread, although the government established an anticorruption watchdog under President Tshisekedi. In the 2022 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, DRC ranked 166 out of 180 countries.

Insecurity also remains a key issue in the Congolese election, with over 120 armed groups causing widespread violence and displacing millions for three decades. The withdrawal of UN peacekeeping forces and ineffective regional deployments heighten the risk of conflict and regional tensions.

Who is Likely to Win?

With the opposition divided, analysts expect that incumbent President Tshisekedi is better positioned to win the election. As a single-round contest, the best opportunity to challenge the incumbent president lies in a united opposition, which is considerably absent among the Congolese opposition with several contenders. Tshisekedi's incumbency and access to state resources make him a formidable candidate going into Wednesday’s election.  

Follow the African Elections Project on Twitter and Facebook @Africanelection for more updates.

#EgyptDecides2023: Meet the Presidential Candidates

 

Egyptians will be heading to the polls from 10th to 12th December to elect their next president who will steer the affairs of the country for the next six years. In all, four people have been cleared by the National Elections Authority (NEA) to contest in this year’s election. They are incumbent president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Abdel-Sanad Yamama from the WAFD party, Hakem Omar from the Republican People’s Party and Farid Zahran of the Social Democratic Party. With a few days to election eve, the African Elections Projects takes a look at the profiles of the presidential candidates.

Abdel Fattah El-Sisi

Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, 69, is the incumbent president of Egypt. El-Sisi is seeking a third term in office in the upcoming presidential election. He is widely expected to win, as he faces no real threat from his challengers. El-Sisi rose to prominence as a military commander during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution and subsequently became Minister of Defence. In 2013, he led a military coup that overthrew President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. He later won the 2014 and 2018 elections with 96%  and 97% respectively.

El-Sisi's presidency has been marked by several significant achievements. He has overseen a period of relative stability in Egypt, and he has made progress on key economic reforms.

However, the country’s current economic situation is dire, with the Egyptian Pound losing half of its value since 2022, and inflation reaching an all-time high. These economic challenges have led to widespread discontent among the Egyptian people.

Furthermore, his record on human rights has been widely criticized. His government has been accused of stifling dissent, curtailing freedom of speech, unlawful arrests and jailing tens of thousands of people without fair trials. 

Abdel-Sanad Yamama

Abdel-Sanad Yamama, 71, is the leader of the country’s oldest liberal party, the Wafd. Yamama. He is a professor of Private International Law at the Faculty of Law, Menoufiya University. 

He holds a master’s degree in International law from Ain Shams University in 1983 and a doctorate in foreign investment in Egypt from the University of Nancy in France in 1988. Before heading the Wafd Party, he worked as a lawyer for the Muslim World League.

He then joined the Wafd party in 2004, which was established after the 1919 revolution against the British occupation.

He was elected as a member of the Supreme Committee of the Wafd Party for 3 consecutive terms, in addition to previously holding the position of chairman of the Legislative and Constitutional Committee.

Hakem Omar

Hakem Omar, 59, is a tourism entrepreneur who currently serves as the leader of the Republican People's Party (RPP), a centre-right political party. He is a strong advocate for individual liberties, the rule of law, and a market-oriented economy.

In 2020, Omar was appointed by El-Sisi to the Senate. He held the position of chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before submitting his resignation in late September.

In his 2023 campaign, he promised to promote the rule of law, and economic freedom and ensure transparency and accountability in governance.

Farid Zahran

Farid Zahran,  66, is a lawyer by profession, and the leader of the  Social Democratic Party – a party that believes in both free market economics and social justice as part of a free and democratic system.

His campaign focuses on improving the Egyptian economy, through raising productivity levels, attracting foreign direct investments, and expanding agricultural production.

Follow the African Elections Project on Twitter and Facebook @Africanelection for more updates.

All You Need to Know about Egypt’s Upcoming General Elections

 

Egyptians will be heading to the polls from 10^th to 12th December to elect a president who will steer the affairs of the country for the next six years.  This is the third time electorates will be going to the polls to elect a president after the coup d’état in 2013. Unlike previous years when presidential elections took place every four years, the 2019 constitutional amendments in Egypt extended the length of presidential terms to six years. Hence, an incumbent or a past president can stand for a third term.

Who are the Contestants?

Four aspirants are contesting for the presidency including the incumbent Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who is currently serving as Egypt’s sixth president. The other candidates include Farid Zahran of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, Abdel-Sanad Yamana of the Wafd Party and Hazem Omar, of the Republican People’s Party.

How is the Electoral Process Like?

According to the Egyptian constitution, electoral procedures should begin a minimum of 120 days before the end of the current presidential term. The National Elections Authority, through its official verified Facebook page announced that it launched a database which includes all names and addresses of polling stations across the country, with all data specific to the polling station in which each citizen will cast his vote.  The NEA’s website also allows citizens to request information about their electoral location and verify their votes in the electoral process, according to the national number. Citizens are also given the privilege to change their stations via the website to cast their votes provided the station is within the jurisdiction of the electoral home. According to the NEA, the electoral process outside Egypt took place in 137 embassies and consulates in 121 countries from 1^st to 3^rd December.

A second round of voting (runoff) would take place on January 5-7 2024 for Egyptians living abroad and on January 8-10 2024 in Egypt if no candidate is successful at securing more than 50% of the vote. However, the NEA will announce the final result on 18^th December if there is no runoff.

How many Eligible Voters are Expected to Take Part in the Exercise?

About 67 million voters including those living abroad and within Egypt are registered and eligible to exercise their franchise according to the National Elections Authority.

Who is Eligible to Vote?

·         Three categories of persons stand a chance of casting their ballot in the upcoming general elections. They include: Persons who have attained the voting age of 18 and above; Citizens whose data are recorded in the voter database; Citizens with the national number card or a valid passport containing the national number.

Who is Not Eligible to Vote?

·         Citizens who are mentally unsound

·         Convicts of theft, bribery, and other crimes.

·         Citizens ever found guilty of disrupting political life.

·    Citizens dismissed from government service for committing a crime involving moral turpitude or dishonesty.

What are the issues?

The unrelenting economic crisis in Egypt has been the key focus area each candidate has promised to tackle if given the mandate. According to the World Bank, “nearly a third of Egypt’s population of 104 million people currently live below the poverty line, and almost many are vulnerable to falling into poverty”. Improving productivity, legislative reform, social and educational sectors are areas the candidates have devoted to work on, in order to improve the standard of living of Egyptian citizens.

Who is Likely to Win?

A number of media reports have tipped incumbent Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi as most likely to win. Sisi has won the presidency two consecutive times, in 2014 and 2018. In 2018, he won the election with 97% against his opponent. Analysts also say that Al-Sisi “retains the backing of the security services, most importantly the army, which has become more powerful and expanded its economic development”

Follow the African Elections Project on Twitter and Facebook @Africanelection for more updates.