The Democratic Republic of Congo is going to the polls again on Thursday for a general election that has thus far been marked by logistical troubles.
The Congolese country staged four concurrent elections on Wednesday to pick a president, national and regional lawmakers, as well as local councillors.
The elections, however, have been marred by protests and delays to the extent that some polls never opened, leaving people unable to cast ballots.
President Felix Tshisekedi, 60, is running for a second term in office against a backdrop of years of economic growth but little job creation and soaring inflation. Yesterday, his opponents cited that the elections had so much chaos and irregularities as they cast their votes in different parts of the mineral-rich country.
The head of the electoral commission, Denis Kadima, declared on national television on Wednesday night that there will be an extension of voting today for people who were unable to vote.
The extension has, however, been opposed by five presidential candidates, including prominent figures Martin Fayulu and Denis Mukwege, on the grounds that it is illegal, and they have gone ahead to call for fresh elections.
There had long been concerns about preparations for the vote, but the authorities played them down, only to cause so much commotion on election day. An influential election observer mission by a union of Congolese Catholic and Protestant churches indicated the scale of the voting problems.
The fate of DRC is yet to be determined, as results are not expected for several days.
