Announcing the results today in the capital Kinshasa, Denis Kadima, the head of Congo’s national election commission known as the Ceni, said Tshisekedi was elected with 73.34% of the vote having obtained over 13 million out of over 18 million valid votes.

Turnout in the disputed election was at over 43%, Kadima said.

Earlier today, a group of Congo’s main opposition presidential candidates asked supporters to take to the streets to protest after the release of the provisional results.

“We categorically reject the sham elections…and its results,” the main opposition candidates said in a joint declaration. They demanded fresh elections be held with a new electoral body on a date to be agreed by all.

“We call on our people to take to the streets en masse after the proclamation of the electoral fraud,” they said.

The government of DR Congo had previously rejected calls for a re-run of the elections.