In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), three months have passed since the legislative elections and the country is still awaiting the appointment of a new Prime Minister as well as the constitution of its government. But while the President of the Republic has appointed an informant responsible for determining the distribution of political forces within the National Assembly, an internal struggle has begun within the Sacred Union to determine who will occupy the crucial position of Prime Minister.
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With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Patient Ligodi
The Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), the Congolese president’s party, aspires to strengthen its hegemony on the national political scene and it is with this in mind that the presidentFelix Tshisekedi chose a prominent member of his party, Augustin Kabuya, to take on the role of informant responsible for identifying the majority in the National Assembly.
Augustin Kabuya, who also plays a key role in the formation of the new government, is openly working to realize the ambitions of his party, as confirmed by an advisor to the head of state. During a political rally on Sunday March 10, Augustin Kabuya clearly declared that the prime minister will return, “ by right at the UDPS “, thus excluding other parties such as the UNC of Vital Kamerhe, the MLC of Jean-Pierre Bemba or the AFDC-A of Modeste Bahati.
Augustin Kabuya even claims to have received direct guarantees from President Tshisekedi himself. However, according to various sources, the issue remains open for discussion. On this subject, Félix Tshisekedi spoke with certain personalities, both from the UDPS and from other political horizons, confided a close friend of the president.
The composition of the future government is also at the heart of intense negotiations. It is understood that the allocation of ministries will mainly reflect the weight of the electoral lists. For political groups, it will be necessary to have at least ten seats in the National Assembly to claim a ministerial position.
However, the political landscape will become clearer after the settlement of electoral disputes by the Constitutional Court and the official publication of the list of elected deputies which could take place before the end of this month.
Read alsoDRC: Augustin Kabuya, leader of the presidential party, appointed informant to the National Assembly