DRC Elections: Emmanuel Ramazan Shaddary leading in election poll

The African Media Council has conducted a poll to determine the leading candidate in the DR election scheduled for December 23, 2018. As poll results show, the leading candidate is Emmanuel Ramazan Shaddary, followed by Felix Tshisekedi.

As results show on the chart, the leading role of Felix Tshisekedi before Martin Fayulu is waning gradually. Martin Fayulu stands in the third place according to the African Media Council ranking.

Shadary leads with 48,3%. He is followed by three neck to neck candidates( Tshisekedi, Fayulu and one surprisingly independent candidate who is gaining popularity in election poll Alain Daniel Shekomba).

Felix Tshisekedi stands in the second place with 17,34% with a downgrade of 2,44% in this contention towards the presidential seat.

Martin Fayulu stands in the third place with 14,08% with an upgrade of 0,98%, indicating that he may go over Felix Tshisekedi in the next election poll results.

Fayulu backed by Moise Katumbi and Jean Pierre Bemba.

Overall, 21 candidates will contest the highly anticipated election, including Martin Fayulu — a candidate chosen by the opposition alliance. Fayulu has the support of former transitional government vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba (2003-2006) and Moise Katumbi, former Governor of Katanga (2007-2015) who have been debarred from contesting.

Bemba and Katumbi and their supporters argue that the process by which they were excluded was not transparent or impartial.

Shadary, a ‘Dauphin’ candidate of the outgoing Joseph Kabila.

Some have questioned the running for the presidential elections of Emmanuel Shadary, arguing that he may be ‘loyal’ to Kabila, then, the latter may do whatever to favor him in the upcoming elections.

The big question is whether Kabila is preparing for a peaceful transfer of power to Shadary, one of his loyalists, and ensuring that he does not inherit a catastrophic situation, similar to that which inherited when he seized power after his father’s mysterious assassination.

Or is it just for his political ambitions to maintain control; to protect his financial assets and secure immunity from prosecution for any crimes committed while in office for the past 17 years?

Presidential election campaign marred by violence.

Supporters of the ruling government in DR Congo and opponents are constantly exchanging accusations of fueling violence, one side pretending to be ‘honest’ while the other camp to be ‘blamed’ for violence.

Election preparations are also being tested in eastern DR Congo, where the army is fighting militant and inter-ethnic violence and dealing with a deadly Ebola outbreak.

Western powers are closely watching the December 23 election in the mineral-wealthy former Belgian colony that has never seen a peaceful transition of power since its 1960 independence.