Martin Fayulu, who claims he was robbed of victory in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s presidential election, on Sunday called for people power to drive President Felix Tshisekedi from power, an AFP journalist reported.
Citing popular uprisings in Algeria and Sudan, he told a meeting of several thousand supporters in Kinshasa the Congolese could achieve the same thing.
“This time, we have returned to call for and to obtain the resignation of Felix Tshisekedi,” he said. “He’s a disgrace, he sold out the country…
“You, the people are stronger than any army in the world. In Sudan and in Algeria, the people got the departure of the leaders. Here we have to do the same thing against Kabila and Tshisekedi.”
Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned in early April after weeks of mass protests, and several regime officials and businessmen close to him have been sacked or detained over alleged graft.
People’s protests in Sudan led to a military council ousting veteran leader Omar al-Bashir on April, and on Sunday the protesters agreed a joint civilian-military council to pave the way towards civilian rule.
In the DR Congo, Fayulu has repeatedly branded last December’s presidential election result a stitch-up between Tshisekedi and the outgoing president Joseph Kabila.
He was officially credited with 34.8% of the vote against 38.5% for Tshisekedi, but insists he picked up around 60% of the vote.
Tshisekedi replaced Kabila who yielded power after 18 turbulent years at the helm of sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest country.
But Kabila’s Common Front for Congo (FCC) coalition won comfortable majorities in both houses of parliament, as well as provincial assemblies and his supporters, also dominated elections for the governorships across the country.
