Catholic Information Service for Africa<\/a> (Nairobi)<\/p>\n13 December 2011<\/p>\n
\nKinshasa \u2014 The Catholic archbishop of Kinshasa Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo, on Monday December 12, condemned election results that handed DR Congo President Joseph Kabila a new five-year term after polls that have been sharply criticised by observers.<\/p>\n
According to AFP reports the cardinal said, “The results announced by the CENI (Independent National Electoral Commission) on December 9 comply with neither truth nor justice.”<\/p>\n
The CENI said that Kabila had won the polls with 49 percent of the vote. Runner-up Etienne Tshisekedi, who took 32 percent, rejected the result and declared himself president.<\/p>\n
International election monitors from the Carter Center, a non-profit group founded by former US president Jimmy Carter, said the counting process was so flawed the result lacked credibility.<\/p>\n
Cardinal Monsengwo appealed to Tshisekedi and the other 10 defeated presidential candidates to take their grievances to the Supreme Court, a move Tshisekedi has rejected.<\/p>\n
He called on the court, which is charged with hearing election disputes and declaring the official winner on December 17, to act impartially.<\/p>\n
The cardinal further said that the court “is called by all Congolese people to say what is really right.”<\/p>\n
AllAfrica – All the Time<\/p>\n
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