KINSHASA, DR Congo
The Democratic Republic of
Congo is scheduled to hold presidential elections on December 20, in which 26
candidates including the incumbent, are running for the highest office in the
impoverished central African nation.
Here are the main contenders:
President Felix Tshisekedi
took power in 2019 after winning a disputed election which another candidate,
Martin Fayulu, insists he won.
Originally from the DRC's
central Kasai region, Tshisekedi is the head of the UDPS party, founded by his
late father -- once an iconic opposition politician.
Felix Tshisekedi has raised
his profile on the international stage, making frequent trips abroad, in
contrast to his reclusive predecessor Joseph Kabila.
He also pledged to improve the
lives of the poor, fight corruption and pacify the conflict-torn eastern DRC.
Critics say the 60-year-old
has failed to live up to his promises. But with the opposition divided,
Tshisekedi is considered the favourite to win in December.
Moise Katumbi, 58, is a
wealthy businessman and owner of Congolese football club TP Mazembe, based in
the southeastern city of Lubumbashi.
He is a former governor of
ex-Katanga province, the mineral-rich economic motor of the DRC, where he was
born.
Katumbi is a target for
critics who charge that he is not fully Congolese, however, because his father
was Italian. One such critic unsuccessfully petitioned the constitutional court
to prevent Katumbi from standing for election.
As leader of the "Ensemble pour la Republique" party, Katumbi argues that his track record developing Katanga as provincial governor qualifies him for the presidency.
Martin Fayulu, 66, is a former oil executive who leads the Ecide party. He wants payback.
For the past five years, his
supporters have referred to him as the 'president-elect' -- arguing that he was
the true winner of the 2018 election.
Fayulu has said he believes
the election in December will be fraudulent and it was initially unclear
whether he would run. He announced his candidacy on September 30.
A renowned surgical
gynaecologist, Denis Mukwege was awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his
effort to end sexual violence.
The 68-year-old has long been
a trenchant government critic and has repeatedly urged justice for the victims
of brutal conflict in the east.
But while reputed in medical
and humanitarian circles for his work with rape victims, Mukwege has no solid
political base.
On October 2, he ended months
of speculation about his political ambitions when he announced his candidacy,
denouncing the "corrupt and predatory practices" that keep most
Congolese people poor.
Mukwege is the son of a
Pentecostal pastor and hails from eastern province of South Kivu province,
where he runs a hospital.
Fifty-nine-year-old Augustin Matata Ponyo served as a finance minister and prime minister under ex-president Joseph Kabila.
As the leader of the LGD
party, he has faced legal troubles over allegedly embezzling public funds, a
charge he fervently denies. A judge has postponed hearings in his corruption
case to March 18.
Adolphe Muzito is also a
former stalwart of ex-president Kabila. He served, at various stages, as his
prime minister, finance minister and budget minister.
The 66-year-old leads the
'Nouvel Elan' party, which was once in coalition with Martin Fayulu's party.
A lawyer and MP from Kasai-
Central province, Delly Sesanga, 53, is the leader of the Envol party.
He backed Felix Tshisekedi for
president in 2018 but has since become his bitter critic, denouncing broken
promises and his "inability to straighten the country out".
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