Democratic Republic of the Congo

National Assembly

Political system: Presidential-Parliamentary
Structure of parliament: Bicameral
IPU membership: Yes

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s): 30 Dec 2018 to 31 Mar 2019
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: No information available
Timing of election: Delayed elections
Number of seats at stake: 500
Scope of elections: Full renewal

Candidates

The number of candidates is not available from authoritative sources.: Yes
The number of women candidates is not available from authoritative sources.: Yes

Results

About the election: The Joint Front for Congo (FCC, see note 1) , a coalition supporting outgoing President Joseph Kabila, retained the majority in the 500-member National Assembly, taking over 330 seats. Opposition coalition Lamuka, led by Mr. Martin Fayulu , took 102 seats (see note 2). The former oil tycoon’s coalition was backed by former Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba and former Governor of Katanga province, Mr. Moise Katumbi, who were barred from running in the presidential elections held in parallel with the parliamentary polls (see note 3). Another opposition coalition, Heading for Change (CACH), co-led by Mr. Felix Tshisekedi (leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress, UDPS ) and former Speaker Vital Kamerhe, took 46 seats.

On 10 January 2019, the election commission announced that Mr. Tshisekedi won the presidential elections. The Catholic Church, which had a 40,000-strong team of observers, denounced the provisional result, stating that Mr. Fayulu had won over 60 per cent of the votes . Mr. Fayulu himself filed a case at the Constitutional Court, which confirmed the final presidential results on 20 January. On 24 January, Mr. Felix Tshisekedi – son of the late veteran opposition leader Étienne Tshisekedi, who died in 2017 – was sworn in as the new President, succeeding Mr. Kabila, in power since 2001. It marked the first transfer of power through elections in 59 years of independence.

The 2018 elections had been postponed successively since the end of Mr. Kabila’s second mandate in 2016. On 31 December 2016, the Government and opposition signed a comprehensive and inclusive political agreement. It provided for President Kabila and parliamentarians to remain in office until their successors were elected and the new legislature was convened (the term of the incumbent MPs was due to expire in February 2017, and the Senators’ term expired in 2012). In November 2017, the election commission announced that elections for the National Assembly and the presidency would be held on 23 December 2018 (and for the Senate on 6 March 2019). On 8 August 2018, the government announced that Mr. Kabila would not seek a new mandate in 2018 and the ruling coalition nominated Mr. Emmanuel Ramazani as its presidential candidate (who finished third in the 2018 elections). On 20 December, the elections were postponed by one week to 30 December, following an attack on a warehouse that destroyed thousands of electronic voting machines on 13 December (see note 4).

Note 1:

The FCC included the Presidential Majority led by Speaker Aubin Minaku, and the Rally of Political and Social Forces Acquired for Change, led by Prime Minister Bruno Tshibala, amongst others.

Note 2:

By 10 June 2019, the Constitutional Court had invalidated over 30 opposition MPs, mainly from the Lamuka coalition, due to alleged electoral disputes. Opposition members rejected the Court ruling, stating it had been issued beyond the two-month deadline stipulated in Article 74 of Law 06/006 on the Organization of Presidential, Legislative, Provincial, Urban, Municipal and Local Elections.

Note 3:

Mr. Katumbi, who has been in self-imposed exile since 2016, tried to return to the country before the 8 August 2018 deadline to register as a presidential candidate but he was denied entry. On 1 August 2018, Mr. Bemba returned to the country after the International Criminal Court (ICC) acquitted him of the charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in June. In September, the Congolese Constitutional Court invalidated Mr. Bemba’s presidential bid because of his ICC conviction for witness-tampering, which was confirmed by the ICC in September.

Note 4:

Elections for 15 seats to be filled in three regions were postponed to 31 March 2019 for security and health concerns related to the Ebola outbreak. The Senate elections, which had been scheduled for 6 March 2019, were held on 15 March.
Number of parties winning seats: 34
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition: 10.0%
Alternation of power after elections: Yes
Number of parties in government: 2
Names of parties in government: Joint Front for Congo (FCC), Heading for Change (CACH)

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group	Total
People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD)	50
Alliance of the Democratic Forces of Congo and Allies (AFDC-A)	41
Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS-TSHISEKEDI)	32
Alternative Action for Well-being and Change (AAB)	30
People's Party for Peace and Democracy (PPPD)	25
Social Movement (MS)	24
Alliance of Actors for Good Governance of Congo (AABC)	23
Alliance for the Future (AA/a)	22
Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC)	22
Alliance of Democrats for Renewal and Progress (ADRP)	22
Alliance of Movements of Kongo (AMK)	22
Unified Lumumbist Party (PALU) and allies	17
Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC)	16
Future of Congo (ACO)	12
Alliance of Construction for an Emergent Congo (ABCE)	11
Rally for the Reconstruction of Congo (RRC)	11
Action of allies to improve living conditions for the Congolese (AAAC)	10
Group of 7 (G7)	11
Christian Democratic Party (PDC)	10
Alliance for the overall transformation of Congo (ATIC)	10
Alliance	8
Stand Up Congo (CODE)	8
Progressists' convention for the Republic (CPR)	8
Dynamics of the Congolese Political Opposition (DO)	8
Alliance for Democratic Alternative (AAD)	10
Movement for the Integrity of the People (MIP)	7
Alliance in the Unity (ADU)	6
Alternative for the Republic (AR)	9
Rainbow of Congo (ACC)	5
Group 18 (G18)	4
Avançons	1
Party for the People's Revolution (PRP)	1
United for the Republic (UREP)	1
Alliance of Progressives for Congo (APCO)	3

Members elected, by sex

Number of men elected: 450
Number of women elected: 50

Notes:
- At the moment of the first session, held on 28 January 2019, the National Assembly comprised 485 members, including 50 women.

- Deferred elections for the remaining 15 seats were held on 31 March 2019. No women were elected.

- As at 18 April 2019, there were 50 women out of the full 500 members.

- The distribution of seats above includes the results of the deferred elections.
Percentage of women elected: 10.0%
Women Directly Elected: 50
Sources: National Assembly (29.01.2019, 15.03.2019, 18.04.2019)

AFP

Reuters

BBC

France 24

La Libre.be

New legislature

Total number of men after the election: 450
Total number of women after the election: 50
Percentage of women after the election: 10.0%
First-term parliamentarians: No information available
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians: No information available
Date of the first session: 28 Jan 2019

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature: Jeannine Mabunda Lioko (Female)
Date of birth: 1964
Political party: People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD)
Date of election: 24 Apr 2019