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during which he will join other Heads of State and government at the inauguration of President Joseph Kabila today.
President Kabila won his second successive term in office after winning 49 percent of the vote in elections held late last month. He beat a field of 10 other aspirants, including veteran opposition politician Mr Etienne Tshisekedi (79), who garnered 32,33 percent of the vote. Contesting the election as an independent candidate, President Kabila, (40) got 8 800 000 votes or 49 percent of the vote against his closest challenger Mr
Tshisekedi, leader of Union for Democracy and Social Progress who got 5 864 775 ballots.
President Kabila first assumed the presidency of the vast mineral-rich Sadc country in January 2001, shortly after the assassination of his father, Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Five years later, he was elected President of DRC, becoming probably the youngest head of state and government in the world at 35.
President Mugabe was seen off Harare International Airport by Vice-President Joice Mujuru, Cabinet Ministers Nicholas Goche, Webster Shamu, Sydney Sekeramayi, service chiefs and senior Government officials. He is accompanied by Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa and Mr Mawampanga Mwana Nanga, the DRC ambassador.
At N’djili International Airport, the President was welcomed by DRC Prime Minister Adolf Muzito and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador John Mayowe.
President Kabila’s inauguration for a second term in charge comes three days after the Supreme Court here confirmed his election, rejecting claims by opposition presidential candidate, Mr Vital Kamerhe that the 28 November election was marred by fraud. Mr Kamerhe, who came third, was demanding the annulment of the provisional result. Most observer missions from Africa declared the election free, fair and credible but Western observers had other views.
One of the foreign observers, the Carter Centre, led by former United States President Jimmy Carter claimed that the results were not credible.
But the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation, declared the election had shown the Congolese people’s desire to consolidate peace.
“The people of the DRC have shown their determination and will to enhance national reconciliation, boost the democratic process, and lay the foundation for lasting peace as well as economic and social development,” said organ chairperson, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa.
Turnout for last month’s presidential and legislative polling was about 58 percent out of 32 million registered voters.
As well as the presidential race, more than 18 000 candidates contested 500 parliamentary seats. Results for the legislative election are expected early next month. For a country still recovering from years of instability, organising the election was difficult. The November election was the first to be funded and organised by the DRC government after the 2006 poll was run by the UN.
Online Reporter