Congo's constitutional court upholds election results, declares President Tshisekedi the winner

Congo’s constitutional court has upheld the results of last month’s election that declared President Felix Tshisekedi the winner, rejecting a petition to annul the vote

KINSHASA, Congo -- Congo's constitutional court on Tuesday upheld the results of last month's election that declared President Felix Tshisekedi the winner, rejecting a petition by an opposition candidate to annul the vote.

“Mr. Tshisekedi Tshilombo Felix Antoine has been elected president of (Congo) by a majority of votes cast,” said Judge Kamuleta Badibanga Dieudonne, president of the constitutional court.

The court called a petition by opposition candidate Theodore Ngoy to redo the vote unfounded. Ngoy, who finished with less than 1% of the vote, was the only candidate to file an appeal.

Tshisekedi will be sworn in at the end of January.

About 18 million people cast ballots in the election, which had a turnout of more than a 40%, according to the election commission.