DR Congo: opposition leader Martin Fayulu rejects court ruling and declares himself president-elect

CNN — Democratic Republic of Congo opposition leader Martin Fayulu rejected a court ruling Saturday that upheld his defeat in the country’s presidential election, instead declaring himself president-elect. “As such, I ask the Congolese people not to recognize any individual who would claim this authority illegitimately nor to obey any orders that would emanate from such a person.” Fayulu suffered defeat earlier this month when Congo’s electoral commission announced that another opposition leader, Felix Tshisekedi, had won the December 30 vote. Fayulu calls for ‘peaceful demonstrations’ Fayulu has accused Tshisekedi of colluding with outgoing President Joseph Kabila to influence the votes “against the will of the Congolese people.” With its decision to uphold Tshisekedi’s election, the constitutional court confirmed that “it is at the service of one individual and of a dictatorial regime that doesn’t respect the laws of the republic nor the most elementary rules of democracy and moral,” Fayulu said in a statement. African Union questions election results The African Union has said it has “serious doubts” about the election results and would send a team to work on “a way out of the post-electoral crisis in the country.” “The heads of state and government attending the meeting concluded that there were serious doubts on the conformity of the provisional results as proclaimed by the National Independent Electoral Commission, with the verdict of the ballot boxes,” it said in a statement Thursday.