Incumbent Joseph Kabila was declared the winner Friday of DR Congo's election but his rival Etienne Tshisekedi rejected the result and declared himself president, raising fears of civil unrest. The elections, just the second in the Democratic Republic of Congo since back-to-back wars from 1996 to 2003, have raised fears of fresh unrest, and Tshisekedi made a veiled threat of violence if Kabila's win was allowed to stand.
"I consider this (result) declaration an outright provocation to our people and I reject it in full. As a result, I consider myself from this day on as the elected president," he said in a statement.
"I call on the international community, which has relentlessly encouraged me to guarantee a peaceful process, to not only find a solution to this problem but take all possible measures so that the blood of the Congolese people is not spilled again." Kabila, who has been in power since 2001, secured 49 percent of the vote while Tshisekedi only mustered 32.3 percent, according to the provisional results read out by the head of the election commission after a marathon 11-day wait for the outcome of the November 28 polls.
The result hands Kabila another five-year term after constitutional changes in January scrapped two-round elections for a single-round system. The supreme court has until December 17 to hear election disputes, review the provisional results and declare the definitive winner. But with the court seen as close to Kabila - he expanded it from seven to 27 judges at the start of the campaign - analysts warn Tshisekedi's supporters are likely to take their grievances to the street.
After the results were read, victory cheers erupted in Kinshasa's posh Gombe neighbourhood, where many ministries and embassies are located. A caravan of honking cars and trucks loaded with celebrating Kabila supporters soon filled the streets. Outside the headquarters of Tshisekedi's party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), opposition supporters said the fight wasn't finished. "We lost the battle but we haven't lost the war," a young man told AFP. Parliamentary polls were also held on November 28. Provisional results are expected in mid-January.