The Democratic Republic of Congo– DR Congo opposition leader, Martin Fayulu, has confirmed his intentions to run for the presidential elections that will be held in December.
He had made this revelation on Saturday, September 30.
He is expected to be one of the key challengers to President Felix Tshisekedi.
The 66-year-old ex-Exxon Mobil executive had come second to Tshisekedi in the controversial 2018 presidential election in the country.
His political party, the Engagement for Citizenship and Development party, the African Union and Congo’s influential Catholic Church had queried the poll results and Fayulu himself had challenged the results in court.
Having failed to win the court case he institued against Tshisekedi, he became the primary critic of his presidency, threatening to boycott the Dec. 20 ballot in protest over claims that the voter list was fraudulent.
Fayuly had remarked that he would formally register his candidacy with the election commission on October 4, 2023.
Tshisekedi is meanwhile, expected to run for second term.
The son of Congo’s darling long-term opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, had stated that he won the 2018 election impartially, promising to curb corruption and authoritarianism and denying the claims by rights groups and critics that he had not achieved the goal.
The ruling coalition will be confirming Tshisekedi as its presidential candidate in a ceremony that will hold on Sunday.
The lead-up to the elections has been anxiety-filled for months, with many opposition candidates faulting the postponement and issues with the electoral process which they claim will disadvantage them.
Back in May, security forces had shot tear gas and fought anti-government protesters who were protesting over purported irregularities in the voter registration process.
