DR Congo poll: Who are the faces eyeing Tshisekedi seat?

The Democratic Republic of Congo launched a month-long election campaign at the weekend with 25 candidates running for president amid a tense political climate and relentless fighting in the east of the country.

Around 44 million registered voters, out of a population of almost 100 million, were set to elect a president yesterday.

They will also choose between tens of thousands of candidates for legislative and local bodies in a country with vast natural resources but endemic conflict and corruption.

A “pre-campaign” has been underway for a while, with President Felix Tshisekedi, who is seeking a second term, attending several public events while his allies vaunt his record.

With the start of the official campaign, big rallies, media interviews, giant posters and handing out flyers will be allowed.

On opening day, Tshisekedi held a rally at the Martyrs stadium in Kinshasa, which was filled to its capacity of 80,000 people despite steady rain.

“He tells the truth, and he’s the only one who is starting to do things,” said Papa Kalombo, a Kinshasa official for the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), which backs the incumbent.

One of Tshisekedi’s main challengers, Martin Fayulu, who claims he was robbed of victory in 2018, addressed a rally in a nearby province.

“The time has come to transform Congo,” Mr Fayulu told the crowd on Sunday.

In total there were a record 25,832 candidates for the legislative elections, 44,110 for provincial bodies and 31,234 for municipal councils, according to the Electoral Commission.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is scheduled to hold presidential elections on December 20, in which more tha 20 candidates are running for the highest office in the impoverished central African nation.

Voters are mixed about the value of voting exercise.

Eunice, a 20-year-old geography student, said she was “happy” to be voting for the first time.

But Ezechiel, a 24-year-old studying management IT, is discouraged. “There will be fraud, like in 2018,” he said. “I am not going to waste my time.”

Main contenders

Felix Tshisekedi

President Felix Tshisekedi took power in 2019 after winning a disputed election which another candidate, Martin Fayulu, insists he won.

Originally from the DR Congo’s central Kasai region, Tshisekedi is the head of the UDPS party, founded by his late father -- once an iconic Opposition politician.

Mr 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 DR Congo.

Critics say the 60-year-old has failed to live up to his promises. But with the Opposition divided, Mr Tshisekedi is considered the favourite to win in December.

Moise Katumbi

Mr 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 DR Congo, where he was born.

Mr 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 Together for the Republic party, Katumbi argues that his track record developing Katanga as provincial governor qualifies him for the presidency.

Martin Fayulu

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.

Mr 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.

Denis Mukwege

A renowned surgical gynaecologist, Mr 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, Mr 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.

Mr Mukwege is the son of a Pentecostal pastor and hails from the eastern province of South Kivu, where he runs a hospital.

Adolphe Muzito

Mr 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 (Fresh Start) party, which was once in coalition with Martin Fayulu’s party.

Delly Sesanga

A lawyer and MP from Kasai-Central province, Mr Delly Sesanga, 53, is the leader of the Envol party.

He backed Tshisekedi for president in 2018 but has since become a bitter critic, denouncing broken promises and his ‘‘inability to straighten the country out’’.