Evening star., 1960-06-02
The CONGO WAITS
independence Could Lead to Chaos
By SMITH HEMPSTONE
contributing Writer


By SMITH HEMPSTONE
Contributing Writer
JADOTVILLE, Belgian
Congo.-More than 113 politi-
cal parties are struggling for
power in elections now being
staged for this nations 1877
member House of Representa-
tiveS which will declare the
Congo's independence on June
80 and write a constitution.
1t is becoming increasingly
obvious that none will win a.
majority of seats.
The Congo, eight times as
large as Italy. has been caught
Lost of Two Articles
with it's loin cloth down by
Belgium'S sudden act of abdi-
cation after little more than
SO years of colonial rule. Po-I
litical thought is still amor
phous, national leaders have
yet to come forth, and party
organizations are rudimentary
in structure and tribal in
character.
The country has only l6l
university aduates, few
CongoleSe have any knowledge
OF administration or world af-
fairs, and technicians areI
about as rare as pork chops in
Tel Aviv.
In a Dark Room
The Congolese nationalists
can be likened to a crowd of |
men locked in a dark room
who shouted to get out. Had
they been refused, they would
have gotten together, laid
plans on how to escape, dis
cussed what they would dol
with their freedom and
chosen the man most likely tol
lead them where they wanted
to go.
Instead, before the first
shout had died down, thel
Belgians quietly unlocked thel
door and the whole crowd
came tumbling out into the
glare of freedom. They areI
still rubbing their eyes and
wondering what happe
next.
1t is fairly certain in the
elections now taking place
that Joseph KaSavubu's Ba-
kongo Alliance (ABAKO) will
win in Leopoldville province.
that Patrice Lumumba's Con-
golese N tion al Movement
(MNC) will win in Oriental,
that Anicete Kamashura's
CEREA will take Kivu, that
Jean Bolikongo's National
Unity Party (PUNA) will
govern in Equator and that
Albert Kalonji's wing OF the
MNC, which is bitterly op-
posed to Mr.. Lumumba. will
win in KaSai.
Katanga Outcome Uncertain
Here on the cool anthill-
studded savannahs of Ka-
tanga, the least populous and
richest of the Congo's six
provinces. the outcome of the
elections is less sure. This
Central African Ruhr. whose
mineral wealth in recent
years has supplied as much
as so per cent of the 5000
million Congolese budget, isl
locked in a fierce electoral
battle based on local issues.
CONOKAT is a conserva-I
tive African party led by ALL
year-old Moishe Tshombe. an
American Methodist-educatedI
businessman, who returned
last week from a State De-
partment-sponsored visit to-
the United States resplendent
in button-down shirt and
black homburg and his party
is based firmly on the big
Lunda tribe. He is a member
of the Lunda royal house and
has in the past enjoyed con-
siderable financial support
from whites.
CONOKAT wants a largerI
share of the revenues from
Katanga's annual productionI
of 100000 tons of copper and
other minerals. hence favors
a federal rather than a uni-I
tary state. The party also de-
mands expulsion of the alien
natives who hold lmportantI
administrative and CONNER
cial posts and constitute half
of the labor force in the mines.
Coalition in Opposition
A three party coalition,
known locally as "the cartel"
and led by 43-year-o:d Meth
odist medical assistant JasonI
Sendwe, opposes CONOKAT.
Although it hedges a bit on
the matter of federalism, the
cartel rejects the expulsion
of the "alien" Africans, most
of whom are from kasai
province.
Last year CONOKAT swept
the local elections and Mr..
T hom be was confident
enough to go off to America
on the eve of this years vot-
ing But signs indicate that
the cartel, which is particu-
larly strong in Katanga s.
urban areas, will win at least
as many seats in the 60
member provincial council as
will CONOKAT. A stand-off
and the establishment of al
coalition government in the
province is likely