News

Following official publication of the DR Congo’s presidential election
results, Budd’s Kinshasa and Matadi offices have confirmed to us that internet and
social media began to work again yesterday (21 January 2019).

For the time being, connection times are abnormally slow, no doubt due
to a backlog dating back to the start of the shutdown on polling day, 30
December 2018.

After a series of delays in a climate of controversy and protests, the D.R.
Congo’s Constitutional Court finally confirmed last weekend (18-19 January
2019) that Felix Tshusekedi, had won the presidential election.

For the first time since independence in 1960, the country has held
democratic elections and elected a president with no military past from an
opposition party.

After praising the past president, Joseph Kabila, for his role in
allowing democratic elections to take place, President Tshusekedi now faces the
task of governing a troubled and divided country with a parliament in which Joseph
Kabila’s opposition holds 337 seats out of 500.

Information provided by Budd D.R. Congo

budd.kinshasa@budd-pni.com