Congo opposition unites behind Martin Fayulu at Geneva meeting

Martin Fayulu, the candidate of Congo's opposition, answers journalists' questions in Geneva on November 11, 2018 Fabrice Coffrini / AFP

Congo’s opposition leaders have picked businessman and lawmaker Martin Fayulu as their candidate for the December presidential election after three days of intense talks in Geneva, organised by the Kofi Annan Foundation. 

Fayulu will face President Joseph Kabila’s preferred successor for the ruling party, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadari, in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s presidential election on December 23. 

“I am only a spokesman for the struggles for freedom and democracy… and I am convinced that we will succeed in making our country democratic, free and independent,” Fayulu told reporters in Geneva on Sunday. “The Congolese people need a leader who will go with them to achieve development, to reach prosperity.” 

Fayulu, president of the Engagement pour la citoyenneté et le développement party [Engagement for Citizenship and Development party], won the nomination over Felix Tshisekedi, the president of Congo’s largest opposition party. 

President Kabila, who has been in power since his father died in 2001, announced his decision to step aside in August. 

Seven opposition leaders had travelled to Geneva for the talks. Former Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito, businessman Moïse Katumbi and former warlord and former vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba had been excluded from the presidential election but had travelled to Geneva to make their choice known. This had left four opposition candidates in the running: Fayulu, Tshisekedi, the former Speaker of the National Assembly, Vital Kamerhe, and the economist, Freddy Matungulu. 

The meeting was organised by the Geneva-based Kofi Annan FoundationExternal link. Its president, Alan Doss, who participated in all the discussions between the leaders, said that the foundation had been “asked to facilitate the consultation process between the political parties of the DRC”, which is part of the organisation’s electoral mediation work.