But in all 21 candidates have been approved for the single-round contest, including several other prominent Kabila critics, which risks diluting the opposition vote and boosting Ramazani's chances. The opposition accuses Kabila's camp of plotting to rig the elections with untested electronic voting machines, a charge the ruling coalition rejects. In a rare opinion poll in July, Katumbi finished joint first with Tshisekedi on 19 per cent of the vote. In 2011, Kabila won with 49 percent of ballots cast as the opposition vote split. The final candidate list also includes former prime minister Samy Badibanga and long-time Kabila ally Tryphon Kin-Kiey.

Source: The Star September 19, 2018 19:30 UTC