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BBC Pidgin of Monday, 1 January 2024

Source: BBC

DR Congo set to announce results as President Felix Tshisekedi dey lead

Felix Tshisekedi, DRC president-elect Felix Tshisekedi, DRC president-elect

President Félix Tshisekedi dey enjoy a commanding lead ova opposition candidates wey bin demand for a rerun of di Democratic Republic of Congo 2023 election results.

Di full results of di election dey expected shortly, and President Tshisekedi don get about 72% of di votes wey dem don announced so far, and e be like say im don set for a second term.

Di 20 December election bin no go well sake of widespread logistical problems.

Dem get to extend am to a second day for some parts of di kontri.

About two-thirds of polling stations open late, while 30% of voting machines no work, according to one observer group.

Millions of pipo wait for hours before dem fit vote, while some give up go house.

Di opposition say di problems na part of a deliberate plan to allow dem rig di results to favour Mr Tshisekedi.

Plenti of di main challengers don call for protests afta dem announce di results on Sunday.

"We call on our pipo to enta streets en masse aft di proclamation of di electoral fraud," dem tok inside one joint statement wey dismiss di "sham" election.

Di head of di election commission bin don tok say di opposition candidates want a new election because "dem know say dem lose... dem be bad losers".

Election chief Denis Kadima confam say some irregularities dey but insist say di results wey dem don announce so far reflect di will of di Congolese pipo.

Di former president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, don already post a message on X wia e congratulate Mr Tshisekedi on im re-election.

Football tycoon and mining magnate Moise Katumbi dey second place wit about 18% of di vote, while former oil executive Martin Fayulu, wey claim say dem bin rob am of victory for di 2018 election, dey third place with about 5% votes.

Election officials neva tok exactly how many polling stations open or how many pipo vote.

Na about 17.8 million votes na im dem don count so far from 55,000 of di 76,000 polling stations. About 44 million pipo register to vote.

E no dey clear if any of di 18 opposition candidates go challenge di results for court - Mr Katumbi don already tok say e no worth am, because di courts no dey independent.

Di Constitutional Court get 10 days to hear any legal challenges before dem go announce di final results on 10 January 2024, wit di swearing-in ceremony wey go happun on 20 January.

DR Congo na roughly four times di size of France, but dem no get basic infrastructure. Even some of dia main cities no dey linked by road.

About two-thirds of di 100 million population for di kontri dey live below di poverty line, earning $2.15 (£1.70) a day or less.

Voters also chose parliamentary, provincial and municipal representatives, wit about 100,000 candidates in total.

Di elections no hold for some parts of di east because of di kasala wey dey happun for di area for di past three decades.

Dozens of armed groups bin dey fight since to control parts of di region, wia most of di mineral wealth for di kontri dey.

Dis include plenti reserves of cobalt, one vital part of many lithium batteries, wey dey important to a future free of fossil fuels.