One of these candidates could be the next president of the DR Congo

Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary

The 58-year-old served as interior minister from late 2016 – a period of violent crackdowns on demonstrators following Kabila’s decision to remain in power when his mandate expired. Shadary was introduced as the candidate to replace current president Kabila, whose term ended in 2016, but had stayed on as elections were continuously postponed over the past two years. In May 2017, the European Union sanctioned Shadary for frustrating the electoral process in Congo and for ordering a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests.

This month, amid protests in the run-up to the polls, the EU extended the asset freeze and travel ban against Shadary and in retaliation, the DRC government expelled the EU ambassador on Thursday.

Shadary entered politics as a member of the UDPS, DR Congo’s biggest opposition party. In 1997, he was elected vice-governor of Maniema province and became its governor a year later. Kabila took power in 2001 after his father was assassinated and Shadary helped him found the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) a year later. He currently serves as its permanent secretary.  Analysts say that Kabila’s choice of Shadary shows his intentions to remain deeply involved in national politics even after he steps down. For others, a victory for Shadary means a continuation of Kabila’s policies.