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| Congo poll loser rejects result | Congo poll loser rejects result |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Democratic Republic of Congo presidential candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba has rejected election results that gave victory to Joseph Kabila. | Democratic Republic of Congo presidential candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba has rejected election results that gave victory to Joseph Kabila. |
| The electoral commission announced President Kabila won 58.05% of the vote in the run-off poll, ahead of ex-rebel leader Mr Bemba who got 41.95%. | The electoral commission announced President Kabila won 58.05% of the vote in the run-off poll, ahead of ex-rebel leader Mr Bemba who got 41.95%. |
| Mr Bemba said he would use all legal channels to contest the result. | Mr Bemba said he would use all legal channels to contest the result. |
| Peacekeepers have deployed extra troops in the capital, Kinshasa - a Bemba stronghold - in case of trouble. | Peacekeepers have deployed extra troops in the capital, Kinshasa - a Bemba stronghold - in case of trouble. |
| Mr Kabila has appealed for calm in the country as his supporters celebrated his victory in the landmark election. | |
| The vote has been the first following DR Congo's five-year conflict. | |
| Correspondents say Mr Kabila, who obtained relatively few votes in the capital and in the north of the country, will face major difficulties ruling DR Congo. | |
| 'Will of people' | |
| Mr Bemba said the result, announced on Wednesday, did not reflect the truth of the ballot box. | |
| RUN-OFF RESULTS Kabila: 58.05%Bemba: 41.95%Votes counted: 100% Result heightens tensions Profile: Joseph Kabila | |
| "I regret to have to say to our people and to the international community that I cannot accept these results," he said in a statement. | "I regret to have to say to our people and to the international community that I cannot accept these results," he said in a statement. |
| "I promise to use all legal means to ensure the will of our people is respected," he added. | "I promise to use all legal means to ensure the will of our people is respected," he added. |
| The election result has to be confirmed by the Congolese supreme court. Most observers declared the election free and fair. | The election result has to be confirmed by the Congolese supreme court. Most observers declared the election free and fair. |
| Final results were not expected until Sunday, but the electoral commission announced the official verdict earlier, despite objections already lodged by Mr Bemba's team. | |
| HAVE YOUR SAY We understand that Kabila himself will not bring peace - he needs the help of the people Lwango Tchomba, South Africa Send us your comments | |
| Electoral commission head Apollinaire Malu Malu called for candidates to respect election rules after the Bemba coalition said their candidate had received more than 50% of the vote and that victory "was being stolen from the Congolese people". | |
| Correspondents say some in Mr Bemba's camp are playing down the threat of violence. | |
| "People were expecting a war plan from us, some troubles. But we're not into that," AFP news agency quoted Fidele Babala, a Bemba aide, as saying. | |
| "At the level of the national assembly we have our deputies and we're going to play our role as the opposition." | |
| Armed clashes | |
| Forces loyal to the two candidates clashed during the war as well as during the tense election period. | |
| Following violence on Saturday in which four people died, the police arrested 337 homeless people, including 87 children, the government says, blaming them for starting the trouble. | |
| Eyewitnesses say that security forces loyal to the two candidates exchanged gun and mortar-fire. | |
| United Nations observers say the election is the most significant in Africa since Nelson Mandela was elected as South Africa's president in 1994. | |
| The world's largest UN peacekeeping force - 17,000-strong - is in DR Congo, tasked with ensuring security. |