Congo presidential election on course for December, says prime minister

Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila. [Photo: Courtesy]

An election in the Democratic Republic of Congo to replace President Joseph Kabila remains on course for late December, the country's Prime Minister Bruno Tshibala has said."I committed in front of our country's representatives in May last year to my mission which was to bring the Congolese people to elections this year, and I confirm that in December this year the Congolese people will be brought to the ballot boxes," Mr Tshibala told Reuters in an interview. Repeated stalling of the election has raised tensions across the vast central African country, triggering street protests and encouraging armed rebellions. Kabila's mandate expired in 2016 but he hasn' stepped down. "There were setbacks which caused this delay," said Tshibala. "But this time our course is set for elections and they will take place on December 23."

We are undertaking a survey to help us improve our content for you. This will only take 1 minute of your time, please give us your feedback by clicking HERE. All responses will be confidential. </s> An election in the Democratic Republic of Congo to replace President Joseph Kabila remains on course for late December, the country's Prime Minister Bruno Tshibala has said.

"I committed in front of our country's representatives in May last year to my mission which was to bring the Congolese people to elections this year, and I confirm that in December this year the Congolese people will be brought to the ballot boxes," Mr Tshibala told Reuters in an interview.

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Repeated stalling of the election has raised tensions across the vast central African country, triggering street protests and encouraging armed rebellions.

Kabila's mandate expired in 2016 but he hasn' stepped down. "There were setbacks which caused this delay," said Tshibala. "But this time our course is set for elections and they will take place on December 23." </s> LONDON: An election in the Democratic Republic of Congo to replace President Joseph Kabila remains on course for late December, the central African country's Prime Minister, Bruno Tshibala, has said.

"I committed in front of our country's representatives in May last year to my mission which was to bring the Congolese people to elections this year, and I confirm that in December this year the Congolese people will be brought to the ballot boxes," Tshibala told Reuters in an interview late on Wednesday.

Repeated stalling of the election has raised tensions across the vast central African country, triggering street protests and encouraging armed rebellions. Kabila was due to step down when his mandate expired at the end of 2016 but has so far refused to do so.

"There were setbacks which caused this delay," said Tshibala. "But this time our course is set for elections and they will take place on December 23."

Tshibala, a former leading member of Congo's main opposition coalition, was appointed by Kabila just under a year ago to head a transitional 'unity' government tasked with organising the election. He is expected to be the opposition candidate in the election.

When asked about technical problems experienced by voting machines during recent testing in the capital Kinshasa, Tshibala said: "Machines are a great revolution," adding they would help the election to run smoothly and in record time.

"We have taken all the precautions with the electoral commission for it to go well. It's true that it's a vast country... but that's exactly why the voting machines will help improve the process."

Opponents of current president Kabila, who has ruled Congo since his father’s assassination in 2001, suspect he intends to repeatedly delay elections until he can organise a referendum to let himself stand for a third term, as his counterparts in neighbouring Congo Republic and Rwanda have done.

Kabila denies those charges, saying the election delays are due to challenges registering millions of voters and budgetary constraints.

DRC security forces have killed dozens of civilians in protests over election delays over the last two years. Worsening militia violence has meanwhile raised fears of a backslide toward the civil wars of the turn of the century that killed millions.

The country's economic situation is still difficult. The central bank currently predicts inflation of 38 percent for the end of 2018, and Tshibala said the country is prepared to cooperate with international financial institutions.

"We are making an internal effort to improve tax collection and government receipts," said Tshibala.

"If we find ourselves in a difficult situation we won't hesitate to speak to the international financial institutions to provide a supplement in order to improve our functioning as a state."

Congo, which is the same size as western Europe, has plentiful resources. It is Africa's largest copper producer and is the source of more than half the world's cobalt, a vital ingredient in mobile phone and electric vehicle batteries.

Its output jumped 15.5 percent last year and President Kabila held a nearly-six hour meeting with international mining companies on Wednesday on new mining laws that will increase the revenues DRC gets from the firms.

"There will be a revision of the code to try and make it more attractive and fair to the DRC. There will be a compromise between us and the mining companies," Tshibala said. </s> Democratic Republic of Congo's President Joseph Kabila addresses the nation at Palais du Peuple in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo April 5, 2017. REUTERS/Kenny Katombe

DAKAR (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila named a former member of the largest opposition party as prime minister on Friday, a move likely to further divide Kabila's opponents after talks to negotiate his exit from power broke down.

A statement from the presidency named Bruno Tshibala as prime minister in a new transitional government meant to organise a presidential election by year-end following Kabila's refusal to step down when his mandate expired in December.

Opponents of Kabila, who has ruled Congo since his father's assassination in 2001, suspect he intends to repeatedly delay elections until he can organise a referendum to let himself stand for a third term, as his counterparts in neighbouring Congo Republic and Rwanda have done.

Kabila denies those charges, saying the election delays are due to challenges registering millions of voters and budgetary constraints.

Security forces killed dozens of civilians in protests over election delays last year. Worsening militia violence in recent months has meanwhile raised fears of a backslide toward the civil wars of the turn of the century that killed millions.

Under a deal struck with the opposition in December, Kabila can stay in office until after an election required to be held by the end of this year. But negotiations to implement the pact collapsed last week and Tshibala's nomination is almost certain to weaken fledgling efforts to make Kabila abide by it.

Tshibala's nomination escalates tensions ahead of a mass march his former party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), has called for next Monday in the capital Kinshasa to protest delays implementing the deal.

Tshibala was expelled from the UDPS last month after he and other prominent opposition leaders contested the designation of successors to veteran leader Etienne Tshisekedi, who died in February.

Tshisekedi's son, Felix, who replaced his father as president of the main opposition bloc, said Kabila violated the deal by not naming a candidate of the alliance's choosing.

"We continue to demand the application of the Dec. 31, 2016 accord," he told Reuters. "The nomination of Bruno Tshibala is a departure from the accord."

Tshibala will be confronted immediately with stern security and economic tests. Congo's franc currency has lost nearly half its value since last year and militia violence has worsened across the country in the wake of Kabila's decision to stay on. </s> The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo named a former member of the largest opposition party as prime minister on Friday, a move likely to further divide Joseph Kabila's opponents after talks to negotiate his exit from power broke down last week.

A statement from the presidency named Bruno Tshibala the prime minister of a new transitional government meant to organise a presidential election by the end of this year following Kabila's refusal to step down when his mandate expired in December.

Tshibala replaces Samy Badibanga, who resigned on Thursday.

READ MORE: DRC tense as police clash with anti-Kabila protesters

Polls were not held last year because of what the government said were budgetary constraints, sparking violent protests at the end of last year in which security forces killed at least 40 people.

Critics say Kabila deliberately delayed elections in order to remain in power.

DRC's conference of Catholic bishops (CENCO) helped to negotiate a December 31 deal aimed at avoiding a political crisis by ensuring an election this year to elect Kabila's successor.

The bishops stepped aside last week after progress on the deal stalled.

Congolese police fired rounds into the air and launched tear gas canisters to disperse hundreds of opposition supporters in the capital Kinshasa after the negotiations broke down.

Nomination 'departure from accord'

Tshibala was expelled from the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), Congo's largest opposition party, last month after he contested the designation of successors to veteran leader Etienne Tshisekedi, who died in February.

Tshibala's nomination as prime minister escalates tensions ahead of a mass march on April 10, called for by the UDPS in Kinshasa to protest delays in implementing the deal.

Under the December political agreement, the opposition coalition known as the Rassemblement was to pick a prime minister, but divisions within the coalition complicated efforts to choose a candidate.

Kabila's announcement on Friday came two days after the president said he would name a new prime minister if the opposition could not agree on a candidate.

READ MORE: Deal finalised on peaceful political transition in DRC

Tshisekedi's son, Felix, who replaced his father as president of the Rassemblement, said Kabila violated the deal by not naming a candidate of the alliance's choosing.

"We continue to demand the application of the December 31, 2016 accord," he told Reuters news agency. "The nomination of Bruno Tshibala is a departure from the accord."

Tshibala will be confronted immediately with stern security and economic tests.

Congo's franc currency has lost nearly half its value since last year and violence has worsened across the country in the wake of Kabila's decision to stay in power.

The country, which suffered through two wars between 1996 and 2003, has not had a democratic transition of power since its independence from Belgium in 1960. </s> Antananarivo. Controversial moves to extend Congolese President Joseph Kabila’s stay in power appeared to advance Sunday as a close ally said elections would not be held until April 2018, 16 months after Kabila was due to leave office.

Foreign Minister Raymond Tshibanda also warned that the political opposition in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has urged Kabila to step down on December 20 when his term officially ends, could foment violent.

Tshibanda, speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Madagascar, said that Kabila’s government had “consulted election experts” from Congo, the United Nations and elsewhere, and that “it has been decided that the voter registration operation will end on July 31, 2017. (AFP) </s> DAKAR, April 7 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila named a former member of the largest opposition party as prime minister on Friday, a move likely to further divide Kabila's opponents after talks to negotiate his exit from power broke down last week.

A statement from the presidency named Bruno Tshibala the prime minister of a new transitional government meant to organise a presidential election by the end of this year following Kabila's refusal to step down when his mandate expired in December. (Reporting By Aaron Ross; Editing by Tim Cocks and Angus MacSwan) </s> Controversial moves to extend Congolese President Joseph Kabila's stay in power appeared to advance Sunday as a close ally said elections would not be held until April 2018, 16 months after Kabila was due to leave office.

Foreign Minister Raymond Tshibanda also warned that the political opposition in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has urged Kabila to step down on December 20 when his term officially ends, could foment violent.

Tshibanda, speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Madagascar, said that Kabila's government had "consulted election experts" from Congo, the United Nations and elsewhere, and that "it has been decided that the voter registration operation will end on July 31, 2017 and that elections will take place in April 2018".

"Before that no expert thinks it will be possible" to organise a vote, he said.

Kabila, who has been elected to two presidential terms, is barred from serving again but has never said he plans to step aside.

Earlier this month he cut a power-sharing deal, appointing fringe opposition politician Samy Badibanga as prime minister in a move that effectively extends his term to at least late 2017.

In September, during protests organised by the Gathering against the delayed elections, 53 people were killed, according to a UN toll. Congolese authorities have banned further rallies including one last week.

"It is clear that not all political actors are acting responsibly, and that some of them are practising politics of the worst kind", Tshibanda said.

He said he "cannot exclude that there might be attempts at violence", and warned that "the Congolese government will act accordingly".

Kabila came to power after the murder of his father Laurent-Desire Kabila by a bodyguard in 2001 during the Second Congo War, which ended two years later.

Elected in 2006, he went on to win a second five-year term in a 2011 vote decried as rigged by the opposition.

"The head of state cannot leave the capital when he is in the middle of consultations to form a government," the foreign minister said. </s> LONDON (Reuters) - A humanitarian crisis in central Democratic Republic of Congo is easing, Prime Minister Bruno Tshibala told Reuters on Thursday, after confirming an election to replace President Joseph Kabila remains on course for late December.

The Kasai region is Congo’s biggest security challenge and has been the scene of a growing humanitarian disaster. But the situation there “seems to be improving”, Tshibala said in an interview conducted in London on Thursday.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a report on Wednesday that 13.1 million Congolese need humanitarian assistance, twice as many as last year, and that 7.7 million face severe food insecurity, up 30 percent from a year ago.

“The situation is under control,” said Tshibala. Asked about reports of aid workers killed in the country, he said: “We ensure security through our armed forces and police. Humanitarian workers are welcome and are protected.”

Over the last two years, DRC security forces have killed dozens of civilians protesting about election delays. At least two were killed in a crackdown late last month in Kinshasa.

Worsening militia violence has meanwhile raised fears Congo is sliding back towards the civil wars of the turn of the century that killed millions. But Tshibala shrugged off militia groups active throughout the country as lacking political aims.

Much of the unrest stems from Kabila’s extended stay in office. His presidential mandate expired at the end of 2016 but has so far refused to step down.

Tshibala said an election — repeatedly stalled — to replace Kabila is on course for December.

“I committed in front of our country’s representatives in May last year to my mission, which was to bring the Congolese people to elections this year, and I confirm that in December this year the Congolese people will be brought to the ballot boxes,” Tshibala said.

“There were setbacks which caused this delay. But this time our course is set for elections and they will take place on Dec. 23.”

A former leading member of Congo’s main opposition coalition, Tshibala was appointed by Kabila just under a year ago to head a transitional ‘unity’ government tasked with organising the election.

Asked about technical problems experienced by voting machines during recent testing in the capital Kinshasa, he said: “Machines are a great revolution” that would help the election to run smoothly and in record time.

“We have taken all the precautions with the electoral commission for it to go well. It’s true that it’s a vast country ... but that’s exactly why the voting machines will help improve the process.”

Opponents of Kabila, who has ruled Congo since his father Laurent’s assassination in 2001, suspect he intends to repeatedly delay elections until he can organise a referendum to let himself stand for a third term, as his counterparts in neighbouring Congo Republic and Rwanda have done.

Kabila denies those charges, saying the election delays are due to challenges registering millions of voters and budgetary constraints.

NO CHANGE TO NEW MINING CODE

Congo, which is nearly the same size as western Europe, has plentiful resources and is implementing new mining laws to increase the revenues it gets from miners active in the country.

It is Africa’s largest copper producer and the source of more than half the world’s cobalt, a vital ingredient in mobile phone and electric vehicle batteries. Its output of cobalt jumped 15.5 percent last year.

The new laws are fiercely opposed by international mining conglomerates, which are concerned Congo will raise taxes and royalties and remove a stability clause in the current law protecting miners from fiscal changes for 10 years.

Kabila held a nearly six hour long meeting with miners on Wednesday to discuss the laws.

But on Thursday Tshibala told Reuters the new code will be signed into law without changes. [L5N1QP72Q]

He was unable to specify how much extra revenue the changes would generate and said the economic situation remains difficult. The central bank currently predicts inflation will be 38 percent by the end of 2018.

“We are making an internal effort to improve tax collection and government receipts,” said Tshibala.

“If we find ourselves in a difficult situation we won’t hesitate to speak to the international financial institutions to provide a supplement in order to improve our functioning as a state.”
Prime Minister Bruno Tshibala says the election – delayed repeatedly since President Joseph Kabila's term expired in December 2016 – will occur this December.