By AFPMore by this AuthorKINSHASAFelix Tshisekedi, opposition candidate for next month's crucial presidential elections in DR Congo, goes into the contest with political heft as the son of Etienne Tshisekedi, his party's late founder. Tshisekedi senior, founder of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), died in February last year and his heir now hopes to make the great leap from opposition to the presidency. The portly "Fatshi", as his friends call him, hopes to succeed President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled the volatile, poverty-stricken nation with an iron fist since 2001. Father of five Tshisekedi and Fayulu attend the same Pentecostal church in the capital Kinshasa but will now both be vying to see off Shadary, a Catholic, at the polls. Tshisekedi includes among his credentials a Belgian-obtained diploma in marketing and communication -- but detractors suggest the qualification is not valid.

Source: Daily Nation November 24, 2018 09:33 UTC