|
DRC: Kabila Party Loses Seats, Retains Majority |
|
|
Thursday, 2 February 2012Official election results in the Democratic Republic of Congo show that President Joseph Kabila's party lost ground in the November parliamentary polls.
The figures, released Thursday by Congo's Independent National Electoral Commission, show that the ruling DDRP party won 63 seats — down from 111 in the previous parliament.
The DDRP remained the largest bloc in parliament, and parties aligned with President Kabila won an outright majority, taking 260 seats in the 500-seat National Assembly.
Opposition groups took 110 seats, with the greatest share — 41 seats — going to the USPS party of President Kabila's election rival, Etienne Tshisekedi.
More than 100 other seats were won by smaller parties not aligned with either Mr. Kabila or Tshisekedi.
Seventeen spots remain unfilled after results were annulled due to election violence, allegations of fraud, and other irregularities. Congo's Supreme Court has yet to rule on those cases.
The parliamentary vote took place over three days in late November, at the same time as the presidential election. International observers criticized the vote as deeply flawed.
While Mr. Kabila was declared winner of the presidential poll, Tshisekedi has contested the results, and tried to swear himself in as president a month later.
Parliamentary results were delayed for several weeks while officials attempted to make an accurate tally of the votes.
|
Thursday, 2 February 2012
VOA News
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
