DR Congo’s leader Felix Tshisekedi has submitted his candidacy for a second term in office, joining a crowded list of presidential hopefuls including opposition heavyweights and a Nobel Peace Prize winner.
The turbulent central African nation, a vast and impoverished country of about 100 million people, is due to hold parliamentary and presidential votes on December 20.
Tshisekedi, who came to power after an election in 2018, officially submitted his candidacy for a second five-year term in office in the capital Kinshasa on Saturday.
He thereby joins over a dozen opposition candidates, including political heavyweights and senior members of the previous administration, but the opposition is far from unified.
Given the fractured opposition, the 60-year-old president is thought to stand a strong chance of winning again.
“He’s in a good position,” said Congolese political scientist Christian Moleka.
“He’s the incumbent, he has the resources of the state, people still believe in him and he’s managed to build strategic alliances,” he added
