# 1965 Democratic Republic of the Congo general election

General elections were held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 18 March and 30 April 1965, following the promulgation of a new constitution approved by a referendum the previous year. 223 political parties contested the election for 167 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.
The elections were won by parties allied with the Congolese National Convention, led by former secessionist leader Moise Tshombe, which won a total of 80 seats. Following the elections, the results were disputed by several parties. The Léopoldville Court of Appeal accepted six of them, and re-runs were required in Kivu Central, Goma-Rutshuru, Cuvette Centrale, Fizi, Kwilu and Maniema, which were held between 8 and 22 August 1965.
Despite Tshombe's party winning the election, President Joseph Kasa-Vubu appointed Évariste Kimba of the Congolese Democratic Front Prime Minister, a situation which ultimately led to Joseph Mobutu carrying out a military coup in November. By the next election in 1970, Mobutu had eliminated all opposition parties, allowing his Popular Movement of the Revolution to run unopposed. As a result, the 1965 election would be the last in which opposition parties were allowed to participate until 2006.

## Results

| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
| | Convention Nationale Congolaise | 227,961 | 9.24 | 38 | New |
| | CONAKAT | 178,302 | 7.23 | 9 | +1 |
| | Congolese Democratic Union | 162,016 | 6.57 | 10 | New |
| | ABAKO | 136,226 | 5.52 | 10 | –2 |
| | Association of the Wanande of Beni and Lubero (CONACO) | 104,896 | 4.25 | 7 | New |
| | Rally for Congolese Democracy (CONACO) | 91,475 | 3.71 | 4 | New |
| | Party of National Unity | 82,601 | 3.35 | 4 | –4 |
| | Parti Solidaire Africain-Kamitatu | 79,358 | 3.22 | 4 | –9 |
| | Mwinda-Bakongo | 68,750 | 2.79 | 5 | New |
| | BALUKABAT | 64,866 | 2.63 | 3 | New |
| | African Democratic Union-Lubaya | 64,845 | 2.63 | 4 | New |
| | LUKA | 62,856 | 2.55 | 4 | +1 |
| | Katangan Common Front | 59,223 | 2.40 | 3 | New |
| | Congolese Regrouping Party (CONACO) | 56,698 | 2.30 | 4 | New |
| | Congolese National Party (CONACO) | 52,060 | 2.11 | 4 | New |
| | Congolese Regrouping (CONACO) | 49,675 | 2.01 | 6 | New |
| | Congolese Democrat Party (CONACO) | 49,039 | 1.99 | 4 | New |
| | Luba People's Rally (CONACO) | 48,944 | 1.98 | 4 | New |
| | Congolese Democratic Party (CONACO) | 42,878 | 1.74 | 2 | New |
| | Movement for the Democratic Evolution of Africa | 36,441 | 1.48 | 2 | New |
| | Association of Socialist Christians of Congo | 36,430 | 1.48 | 3 | New |
| | Congolese National Party | 35,275 | 1.43 | 3 | New |
| | Popular Movement of Sankuru (CONACO) | 34,811 | 1.41 | 2 | New |
| | Budjala Union | 32,780 | 1.33 | 1 | New |
| | Mouvement National Congolais-Lumumba | 31,874 | 1.29 | 2 | –34 |
| | PDR (CONACO) | 29,277 | 1.19 | 5 | New |
| | ATCAR (CONACO) | 25,375 | 1.03 | 1 | − |
| | ATCAR | 24,710 | 1.00 | 2 | +1 |
| | Convention Nationale Congolaise cartels | 23,052 | 0.93 | 1 | New |
| | Association of Citizens of Tshuapa | 22,011 | 0.89 | 2 | New |
| | Congolese Rural Party | 21,861 | 0.89 | 1 | New |
| | Union of the Citizens of Lake Leopold II | 19,944 | 0.81 | 1 | New |
| | Congolese Democratic Rally | 19,912 | 0.81 | 1 | New |
| | Common Front of North Kivu | 19,179 | 0.78 | 1 | New |
| | Basonge Unity Movement (CONACO) | 16,314 | 0.66 | 3 | +2 |
| | Congolese Democratic Party | 15,059 | 0.61 | 1 | New |
| | National Public Salvation Front (CONACO) | 15,104 | 0.61 | 1 | New |
| | INTERCOUP-Huapa | 11,645 | 0.47 | 1 | New |
| | CTS–UPP (CONACO) | 9,781 | 0.40 | 1 | New |
| | BA-LIKOLO | 9,634 | 0.39 | 1 | New |
| | Association of Socialist Christians of Congo | 6,226 | 0.25 | 1 | New |
| | Regional parties | 274,778 | 11.14 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independents | 12,815 | 0.52 | 1 | +1 |
| Total | Total | 2,466,957 | 100.00 | 167 | +30 |
| Source: Sternberger et al. ||||||