The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) declared Félix Tshisekedi the winner of the recent elections held on December 20, 2023, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. President Tshisekedi was re-elected with 73.34% of the total votes cast, followed by Moise Katumbi with 18.03% and Martin Fayulu with 5.33%. Félix Tshisekedi’s success was mainly due to three factors: his well-planned campaign, his capacity to connect with the public, and the division within the opposition (Kasanda, 2024). Despite Tshisekedi’s success, the transparency and organization of these elections were doubtful. For example, Stearns (2024) described these elections as “chaotic, complex, rigged, and historic.” Therefore, this argumentative essay seeks to acknowledge the reasons behind Tshisekedi’s victory, while highlighting important issues that impacted the electoral process, such as; fraud, a delay in voting, a low percentage of voters, and voting machine malfunctions.

It was obvious that Tshisekedi prepared a strategic campaign.  During his first mandate, he managed to break their agreement to form a common majority with Joseph Kabila’s Common Front for Congo. He then effectively built his own legislative majority which helped him gain the support from prominent political leaders. Therefore, having the parliamentarian majority on his side made him a stronger candidate in the December 2023 poll (Kasanda, 2024). However, Tshisekedi’s legislative majority did not necessarily reflect his popularity among the public or the government. Rather, some parliamentarians joined his coalition called “Union Sacrée de la Nation” in French or the “Sacred Union of the Nation”, because they sought personal interests, such as getting opportunities and securing their positions in Thisekedi’s government. This is why during the elections, many candidates from the majority confiscated voting machines in their houses where they started voting for themselves before and after the actual election time. Due to this fraud as reported by VOA (2024), the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) had to cancel the votes of 82 out of 101,000 candidates in the general elections (presidential, legislative, provincial and local).  As Mhaka (2024) mentioned it, these elections were even worse than the other disorganized elections of 2011 and 2018. Unfortunately, in the recent elections which could be described as a “shambolic election” (Mhaka, 2024), the DRC repeated the past mistakes.

Another factor of Tshisekedi’s victory; was his promise to attack Rwanda and defeat the Rwandan government as a retaliation to the alleged Rwandan aggression in the Eastern Congo. This speech gained remarkable support from most Congolese who voted for him, even though he did not have any significant achievements for his first term in office (Kasanda, 2024). But this divisive speech not only created division among some Congolese, but also strained relations with Rwanda and its government. Stearns (2024) described Tshisekedi’s speech as a “national firebrand rhetoric,” emphasizing the potential negative impacts of such statements on diplomatic relations. Since most Congolese were desperate and frustrated about the long-lasting wars and insecurity in the Eastern DR Congo, Mr. Tshisekedi knew that people needed a message of peace and hope. Yet, his speech was nothing less than just an electoral propaganda.

In addition, the division within the opposition, coupled with challenges faced by candidates like Moise Katumbi and Martin Fayulu, contributed to Tshisekedi’s victory, as he took advantage of these circumstances to secure a majority win (Kasanda, 2024). Nevertheless, many people believe that the division in the opposition was not really a big deal, because Tshisekedi would not have accepted to lose the elections at any cost. Instead, he allowed multiple irregularities such as; fraud, malfunctioning of voting machines and voting days extension, in order to orchestrate fraud in his favor.  VOA (2024) mentioned that, all these challenges raised serious concerns about the fairness of the overall electoral process. Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo of the Roman Catholic Church described these elections as “a gigantic, organized disorder,” as quoted by Stearns (2024). This statement vividly illustrates the chaotic nature of the electoral proceedings, and many people believe that president Tshisekedi would not have won, if the elections were transparent and fair.

While Félix Tshisekedi’s strategic campaign, ability to resonate with the population, and the division within the opposition contributed to his victory, the credibility of the 2023 elections in the DRC remains debatable. The irregularities and disorganization observed including fraud, delayed voting, and the limited citizen participation, are enough reasons for one to question the fairness of these elections and Tshisekedi’s victory. To regain both internal and international credibility, the DRC’s leaders should focus on building strong and independent systems, reforming the judicial system, army, and government, and prioritizing the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the Congolese people. Only then will the DRC make significant strides towards a more credible and democratic future.