Joseph Kabila: DRC ‘president for life’? by Issa Sikiti Da Silva on September 22, 2013 in General News Reports coming from several reliable sources in the capital Kinshasa have suggested over the weekend that Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to become ‘president for life’. Sources said this is the wish of almost every MP (Member of Parliament) representing Kabila’s ruling PPRD – in exchange, of course, for several thousands dollars each. PPRD MPs have a history of corruption dating back two years ago when they were given a ‘considerable sum’ of US dollars by Kabila to vote for a law that would pave the way to the presidential elections be held in one round, not two as it is the norm worldwide. This shocking news gained momentum on Sunday when the well-respected blog Afrikarabia reported that a power-sharing deal was in the pipeline in the corridors of the ‘national dialogue’ currently underway in Kinshasa. The deal will consist of forming a 1+2 formula – one president [Kabila] plus two vice-presidents – a ‘share’ that would establish a ‘presidency for life’ for Kabila, Afrikarabia reported, quoting sources from the Coalition for True Dialogue in DR Congo (CVD). (CVD), led by Vital Kamerhe’s Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC), is the platform of smaller parties comprising RCD- KML, UPC or UDEMO. CVD said it was concerned about the consequences of a decision to create a 1+2 formula, as it could hand over a title of ‘presidency for life’ to Kabila, Afrikarabia said. The coalition called this week for the immediate suspension of the national dialogue and the immediate end of the Kampala talks between the Congolese government and M23 rebels. The national dialogue, meant to ‘heal the wounds of the past and enhance national cohesion’, is being boycotted by both Kamerhe and Etienne Tshisekedi’s opposition parties. Veteran politician Tshisekedi, 85, claims he was the rightful winner of the 2011 presidential elections, which he says was ‘rigged and stolen’. Several diplomatic sources said that the West and South Africa preferred Kabila, a ‘moderate’ and ‘generous’ leader, and loathed nationalist Tshisekedi – a man they described as a ‘threat’ to their economic interests in DRC. If Kabila, a merciless dictator, moonofthesouth/africas-long-serving-presidents/, is handed over the title of ‘president for life’, he will follow the footsteps on Central African Republic’s Jean-Bedel Bokassa and Uganda’s Idi Amin Dada. However, these deceased fiery leaders’ reign did not last a lifetime as they wished because they were eventually overthrown. Photo: Joseph Kabila Kabange, DRC soon-to-be president for lifemoonofthesouth/joseph-kabila-drc-president/
Posted on: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 13:27:43 +0000
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