Why Congo Is Bracing for a Bitter, Chaotic Election: QuickTake

The Democratic Republic of Congo, sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest country, has never witnessed a peaceful transfer of power. Joseph Kabila inherited the presidency of the resource-rich nation from his father, Laurent-Desire, who was assassinated in 2001, four years after he led a rebel army to overthrow long-serving dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. The prospects of an uncontested transition after the Dec. 23 election look slim, with opposition parties alleging that moves are afoot to rig the contest in favor of Kabila’s protege.

The vote was initially supposed to be in late 2016, but was postponed because the electoral commission couldn’t arrange it in time -- a delay the opposition said was intentional to extend Kabila’s rule. Kabila put fears to rest that he’d bypass a two-term constitutional limit and seek re-election when he announced in August that he’d step down. The ruling Common Front for Congo coalition then chose Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, the permanent secretary of Kabila’s People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy and a former interior minister, as its candidate. He’s one of 15 Congolese officials sanctioned by the European Union since December 2016 for allegedly undermining democracy and abusing human rights. Kabila has signaled he’ll remain active in politics and consider running for office when he’s eligible again in 2023.