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By Julius Mwesigye
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) president-elect Felix Tshisekedi is to be sworn in toady, media reports indicate.
The 55-year old Tshisekedi, who takes over from Joseph Kabange Kabila, will be inaugurated at a ceremony at the ‘Palace of the Nation’, the seat of the presidency.
The son of fallen DRC opposition icon Etienne Tshisekedi, who served twice as Prime Minister in the mineral-rich former Belgian colony, the younger Tshisekedi takes the mantle of one of the poster boys of Africa’s failed states.
DRC Presidents are supposed to serve a two five-year non-renewable term. However, Joseph Kabila, who succeeded his father Laurent Kabila as president, served for 18 years but was forced out of power by the citizenry who protested against his shenanigans to change to Constitution to cling onto power.
As a result, elections were scheduled in December and Tshisekedi Jr won against frontrunner Martin Fayulu and Kabila ally Shardary Ramathan, but his victory was contested by the Catholic Church and Fayulu.
However, the country’s highest court upheld Tshisekedi’s victory, making him the DRC’s sixth leader since the country’s Independence in 1960.
Formerly known as Zaire, the DRC has had other Presidents among them Joseph Kasavubu, Antoine Gizenga (disputed), Mobutu Sese Seko, Laurent Kabila and his son Joseph Kabange Kabila.
