Kabila: Vote was largely fair

There were mistakes made during elections in Democratic Republic of Congo but the process was largely fair, President Joseph Kabila declared. Recent elections in DRC were only the second since the country gained independence in 1960. Kabila denied allegations that he won a second term through vote tampering. "The credibility of these elections cannot be put in doubt," he was quoted by the BBC as saying. Observers with the Carter Center, which has headquarters in Atlanta, said they found the DRC vote lacked credibility. "The Carter Center is therefore unable to provide independent verification of the accuracy of the overall results or the degree to which they reflect the will of the Congolese people," the group said in a statement. Kabila acknowledged mistakes were made but suggested concerns expressed by the Carter Center were overstated. Kabila, the latest count indicates, secured 49 percent of the vote compared with 32 percent for Etienne Tshisekedi, who issued a rival claim to victory during the weekend. The British broadcaster notes several people were killed in weekend protests in the DRC. Kabila was quoted as saying, however, there wasn't a crisis in his country. "We're going to stay calm and continue with the day-to-day activities of the state," he said.