Opposition leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo have called for the annulment of the results of recent parliamentary elections over allegations of fraud, in a dispute that could plunge the vast and mineral-rich Central African country into new political unrest.

Five opposition leaders, including the president’s main challenger, released one opinion Late Saturday, he accused the country’s electoral commission of “massive fraud,” including ballot stuffing, delaying the opening of polling stations and falsely declaring President Felix Tshisekedi the winner in areas where he supposedly won no votes.

The five leaders – including Moïse Katumbi, a business tycoon and the president’s closest rival – also called for the commission head’s resignation because he “planned and orchestrated the worst electoral fraud our country has ever experienced.”

The results of the Elections are closely watched not only in Africa but around the world. Congo is Africa’s second largest nation and is home to large deposits of cobalt, which is crucial for the production of electric cars. And the dispute over the credibility of the election could fuel unrest in Congo, which is already struggling with a crisis enormous security and humanitarian crisis in its eastern region.

The election featured 19 presidential candidates and 100,000 other candidates for seats in national, regional and local parliaments. About 44 million people – about half of the country’s population – were eligible to vote.

On Sunday the Independent National Electoral Commission said in a statement It was posted on social media that the collection and publication of results would continue at home and abroad. It also said it was investigating “acts of violence, vandalism and sabotage committed by certain candidates with ill intentions” against its employees, adding that “appropriate action” would be taken against those found guilty or complicit in these acts.

The commission is expected to publish the full preliminary results of the election by December 31. Mr Tshisekedi, who is seeking a new five-year termSo far she is ahead in the vote count.

The dispute over the results came after severe logistical challenges delayed voting in parts of the country on Wednesday, prompting the Electoral Commission to do so extend the voting process until Thursday.

The move was criticized by some opposition leaders and pro-democracy groups. They said the election extension violated election laws and undermined the reliability of voting, which cost $1.2 billion. Some opposition leaders said they would protest on December 27 in the capital Kinshasa to show that the election was a “sham.”

The Carter Center, whose election observers monitored the election, said in a statement It said on Friday that while the election was contested, there was “a lack of confidence in the process, due in part to previous elections as well as gaps in transparency, particularly in the electoral roll.”

As tensions worsened, a dozen Western governments, including Canada, Germany and Britain, backed down a joint statement on Saturday called on candidates and parties to “exercise restraint” and challenge the results peacefully and in compliance with the constitution.