Martin Fayulu is for the second time a candidate in the presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), scheduled for December 20. In 2018, the opponent – ??designated by the Lamuka coalition (“wake up” in Lingala) formed against former President Joseph Kabila – then declared himself the winner of the vote, relying in particular on observers from the Episcopal Conference National Council of Congo (Cenco).
Five years later, the head of the Engagement for Citizenship and Development (Ecidé) party is still contesting the official results which brought Félix Tshisekedi to power.
Martin Fayulu First, Félix Tshisekedi did not emerge victorious in 2018. He usurped power with the complicity of Joseph Kabila. Today, his record is chaotic. The insecurity is total. Even in areas where you could travel 24 hours a day, this is no longer possible.
Second, theft and corruption have become management methods. Félix Tshisekedi’s former chief of staff, Vital Kamerhe, was sentenced by Congolese courts to twenty years in prison for embezzlement of $57 million (€52.4 million) of public funds. Today, he is out [he was acquitted by the Kinshasa Court of Appeal in June 2022] and has been appointed Minister of the National Economy.
Third, Félix Tshisekedi has exacerbated tribalism and the Congo is dangerously divided. Finally, jobs were not created and the unemployment rate exploded, even as the state’s lifestyle increased. Not to mention that certain figures have been imprisoned without valid reason, such as the journalist Stanis Bujakera or Salomon Idi Kalonda [the right arm of the opponent Moïse Katumbi, also a presidential candidate].
Lies ! I worked in the oil industry and never improperly accepted a single dollar.
My vision is to build a free, strong, dignified and prosperous Congo with united citizens. We must make the Congo a normal country, which means guaranteeing territorial integrity, the rule of law, national cohesion and honest governance. State money must be used to invest in social or public goods. No more theft and corruption! With me, zero tolerance will be required.
The credibility of the process is already tainted and fraud risks being massive. First, the electoral register is not reliable. Then, most of the purchases made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) were not subject to any call for tenders.
Then, the enrollment operation [registration on the electoral lists] was totally opaque. Today, a large proportion of voters have not received their cards. Others have documents with faded ink and must go get their duplicate which is only available at CENI branches. However, these can be very far from the voters’ place of residence.
This is the date announced by the CENI and that is why we are campaigning. If she does not respect it, she will have to take all the consequences, including reimbursing us for the costs incurred.
No way. To make omelettes, you have to break eggs. We refused to engage our MPs to put pressure on and demand transparent elections.
The solution is found in our Constitution. It says that an independent candidate can be President of the Republic and that, at the end of the elections, each deputy joins the majority or the opposition. When the time comes, I will discuss with these elected representatives of the people and I will be able to convince them.
It is always possible, but it is first of all the people who must lead you towards a common candidate. In 2018, this was the case. Today, I am talking with candidates. We sign joint communiqués with Floribert Anzulini, Pastor Théodore Ngoy, Doctor Denis Mukwege, Governor Jean-Claude Baende and Nkema Liloo Bokonzi to demand transparent and impartial elections. There are hooks and certain things can emerge later.
No not at all. The people are not fooled and will choose the one who is able to take them out of poverty and bring them prosperity.
The army must first be trained, equipped and patriotic. A unit to monitor our borders will be created as well as large military camps in North Kivu. Concerning armed groups, it will be necessary to initiate a real demobilization of combatants. The current program does not work and is poorly designed. Many militiamen are in these armed groups because of poverty and not out of conviction.
Currently, I have no relationship with Rwanda. The M23 is not a rebel group, it is an auxiliary of the Rwandan army whose objective is to destabilize the DRC. Previously, North Kivu was the breadbasket of the region and other countries, such as Uganda and Burundi, depended on us. But today, because of the situation created by Joseph Kabila and Félix Tshisekedi, the region is maintained in a slave or neocolonized condition.
