The Constitutional Court in the Democratic Republic of Congo started hearing a petition Monday filed by one of the former candidates challenging the results of last year’s presidential election.

Opening the hearing, Theodore Ngoy asked the court to annul the results of the election, claiming there were “flagrant violations of the electoral law.”

The petitioner cited the unstable “socio-political situation in the country, the irregular registration process of voters and a seven-day extension of the voting process” in some areas of the country as grounds for cancellation of the results.

Ngoy asked the court to order the composition of new independent members of the national electoral body to organize fresh elections.

Tshisekedi's victory

The court will hear presentations from the public attorney before announcing its ruling before Jauary. 12.

President Felix Tshisekedi was declared the winner of a presidential election held on Dec. 20 with 73.34% of the vote after beating about 20 candidates.

Opposition claims of election fraud started soon after partial results began to be announced following the presidential, legislative, provincial and local elections.

But the main opposition candidates including businessman Moise Katumbi, Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege and Martin Fayulu did not appeal to the Constitutional Court, which they consider to be pro-government.

The final results of the presidential poll await ratification by the Constitutional Court.

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