Initial results from a presidential poll in DR Congo began to trickle in on Friday after shambolic elections spread over several days which the authorities deemed successful. The central African nation's electoral commission, Ceni, announced results for Congolese voters living in South Africa, Belgium, France, Canada and the United States. The results represent a minuscule proportion of the overall votes cast, but they indicated a provisional lead for incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi, who is running for a second term. Poor but mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo held four concurrent polls on Wednesday to elect the president, lawmakers for national and provincial assemblies as well as local councillors. Massive delays and bureaucratic chaos marred the vote and some polling booths were unable to open at all. Ceni extended voting in some areas until Thursday. In a statement, the electoral commission said that no polling station was authorised to open on Friday. However, voting continued in some places on Friday, according to officials, especially in the more remote areas of the vast country the size of western Europe. As DR Congo results trickle in following chaotic elections that the opposition decried as a sham full of irregularities, FRANCE 24's Kethevane Gorjestani is joined by Dr. Alex Vines, Director of the Africa Programme at Chatham House and Assistant Professor at Coventry University, lecturing on African peace, security, and politics.
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