From: barnhart@netcom.com (Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:ZAIRE: MOBUTU'S RIGHT HAND MAN WITH
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 22:26:40 GMT
Organization: Netcom
Reply-To: barnhart@netcom.com

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Latin America
Title: ZAIRE: MOBUTU'S RIGHT HAND MAN WITHDRAWS FROM ELECTION


kinshasa, aug 14 (ips/louis okamba) -- bernadine mungul-diaka,
minister of state in the government of president mobutu sese
seko friday withdrew his candidacy for the post of transition
prime minister, according to official sources here.

in a letter addressed to the bureau of the national
conference, mungul-diaka who is also governor of kinshasa said
his withdrawal was due to the climate of ''hysteria and
intolerance'' that has characterised the conference over the
last week.

mungul-diaka also said street demonstrations have
been creating an ''atmosphere of insecurity'' since monday and
that as govenor of kinshasa, ''charged with the security of
citizens, i cannot do this efficiently and still be a
candidate.''

for the past week the zairean capital has experienced street
demonstrations calling on the national conference for democratic
reforms to elect union for social democracy and progress (udps)
leader, etienne tshisekedi, as transition prime minister.

analysts here fear the fanatical expressions of support for
tshisekedi may lead the country to a sitation of ungovernability
if the radical sacred union leader, widely regarded as ''the
sole candidate of the people'' is not voted to the top
post in the transition to the third republic.

on thursday at dawn an attempt was made to blow up the the
home of upds vice president, frederic kibassa maliba. the house
is also the headquaters of the upds. following the incident,
maliba called on party militants to remain calm in order to
avoid disrputing the election.

but political observers here also believe that mungul-diaka
has not been honest about his reasons for abandoning the
contest.

''even if he had not dropped out, he had no chance of
winning the election because he did not fulfill the criteria of
morality and good management,'' as required by the bureau of the
national conference, faustin shungu a member of civil society,
an apolitical movement within the national conference told ips.

the bureau of the national conference had devoted thursday's
plenary session to vetting the 17 candidates in the race for the
premiership. by the end of the rigourous examination of the
candidates' records nine were retained. two dropped out in
favour of tshisekedi, leaving seven candidates vying for the
premiership. (more/ips)


zaire: mobutu's (2)

in fact mungul-diaka, considered mobutu's right hand man,
had thursday failed to impress the national conference when he
had been called upon to answer the questions posed to all
potential candidates.

the bureau of the national conference expected the candidates
to elaborate on the role of the prime minister during the
transition, the relationship between the presidency of the
republic, the high council of the republic and the government
and to outline their plans for reviving the country's economy.

during the course of the same session mungul-diaka had also
been taken to task by the commission charged by the national
conference with looking into ''ill-gotten wealth''.

according to the comission, mungul-diaka, a discredited
member of the udps, prevailed upon by mobutu to become prime
minister, was guilty of financial mismangement and the
embezzlement of three cars during his 60-day stint as premier
(october to november 1991).

kamitatu massamba, vice president of the social democratic
christian party, considered the second largest party in the
sacred union, has also announced his withdrawal from the
election citing ''the good of all'' and the ''difficult
conditions'' in the national conference as his reasons.

kamitatu, who was not cleared by the ''political
assassinations'' commission, was widely thought to have been
coerced by the authorities into contesting the election in order
to thwart tshisekedi. (end/ips/lo/tvh/oa/92)


-- 
Aaron (Barnhart@netcom.com) -- posting from Evanston, Illinois
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african