KINSHASA, DR Congo
Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo fired tear gas on Wednesday to disperse a protest by opposition supporters in the capital Kinshasa calling for a re-run of last week's chaotic presidential and legislative elections.
The disputed vote threatens to
further destabilize poverty-stricken DRC, which is already grappling with a
security crisis in the east that has hampered development in the world's top
producer of cobalt and other industrial minerals and metals.
Five of President Felix
Tshisekedi's challengers in the race called on their supporters to join a march
on Wednesday against the poll, which they say was fraudulent and should be
annulled.
They vowed to proceed even
after the government banned the protest on Tuesday, saying it was intended to
undermine the work of the national election commission (CENI) as it compiles
results that for now show Tshisekedi with a strong lead.
Police surrounded the
headquarters of one of the incumbent's main challengers, Martin Fayulu, where
protesters were meant to gather for a scheduled start time of 0900 GMT. Some
were in riot gear while others held rifles.
There was no immediate sign of
large crowds gathering amid the heavy security presence. But some protesters
tried to block roads with burning tires before police intervened with tear gas.
People around Fayulu's headquarters also threw rocks at the police, who
retaliated in kind.
Tshisekedi "did not win the election, his victory is fraudulent," one protester who gave his name as Jean-Pierre said outside the building.
Government spokesman Patrick
Muyaya said the demonstration was banned and that police were taking necessary
security measures.
In a sign of tension
elsewhere, supporters of a local candidate, who appeared to be losing, briefly
blocked roads and disrupted traffic with burning tires in the eastern city of
Butembo, before dispersing.
After a sometimes violent
campaign, the December 20 vote itself was chaotic, with delayed election kit
deliveries, malfunctioning equipment and disorganized voting lists. Violence
also disrupted the poll in some places.
The protest organizers have
heavily criticized the CENI's decision to extend voting at polling stations
that failed to open on election day, calling it unconstitutional and grounds
for a full re-run.
Some independent observers
have also said the extension undermines the credibility of the poll.
CENI has acknowledged there
were delays but has denied that the legitimacy of the election was compromised
by extending some voting.
Its latest tally on Tuesday
put Tshisekedi well ahead of his 18 challengers, with almost 79% of around 6.1
million votes counted so far.
Around 44 million were
registered to vote, although the number of ballots cast remains unknown.
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