Margaret Thatcher vs Martin Fayulu

Thatcher led the Conservative Party to victory in the general election, becoming Britain's first female prime minister. Her government pursued a radical agenda of economic liberalization, privatization, and reduction of trade union power.

Thatcher ordered a military task force to retake the Falkland Islands after Argentina invaded. The British forces succeeded after a 10-week conflict. The victory boosted Thatcher's popularity and her government's standing, leading to her re-election in 1983.

Thatcher's government sold off major state-owned enterprises, including British Telecom, British Gas, and British Airways, to private investors. This program of privatization was a central part of her economic policy, aimed at increasing efficiency and reducing public debt.

Thatcher's government faced a year-long strike by the National Union of Mineworkers led by Arthur Scargill. The government stockpiled coal and used police to prevent picketing. The strike collapsed, weakening trade union power and enabling further pit closures.

Thatcher signed the Single European Act, which reformed the European Economic Community and set the goal of a single market by 1992. Despite her Eurosceptic views, she supported this act, which expanded qualified majority voting and European integration.

Martin Fayulu ran as the joint opposition candidate in the 2018 presidential election, representing the Lamuka coalition. He was widely seen as the main challenger to the ruling party, but official results placed him third, a result he rejected as fraudulent.

Fayulu filed a petition with the Constitutional Court challenging the official results that declared Felix Tshisekedi the winner. The court rejected his petition, and Fayulu called for international sanctions, claiming the election was stolen through a backroom deal.

Martin Fayulu declared himself the legitimate president of the DRC, citing leaked election data that he claimed showed he won. He held a symbolic swearing-in ceremony and continued to dispute Tshisekedi's legitimacy, though he failed to gain international recognition.

Fayulu ran again in the 2023 presidential election as the candidate of the Lamuka coalition. He finished second with about 5% of the vote, according to official results, and again rejected the outcome, alleging widespread irregularities and fraud.