page_title: Paul Bolya
section_title: Political career
hierarchical_section_title: Paul Bolya / Biography / Political career
caption_attribution_description: English: Patrice Lumumba (left center) poses with his government outside the Palais de la Nation immediately following his swearing-in ceremony. Joseph-Désiré Mobutu is fifth from the right, in sunglasses. Pierre Mulele is third from the right. Marcel Bisukiro is fourth from the left. Thomas Kanza is eighth from the right, in the back, partially obscured
context_page_description: Paul Bolya or Bolya Ifekwa Lobok'ete was a Congolese politician and leader of a faction in the nationalist movement in the Belgian Congo before independence.
context_section_description: At the Constituent Congress of Coquilhatville in November 1959 Bolya became the president of the Parti National du Progrès (PNP). He represented the PNP at the Belgo-Congolese Round Table Conference and was the first delegate to formally propose the adoption of a resolution for Congolese independence. He was chosen to be one of the vice presidents of the talks. Bolya served on the Executive Board to the Governor General from March to June 1960. In May he was selected as a member of the Union des Mongo (UNIMO) to be a senator on behalf of Équateur Province.
  Bolya was considered for the post of Minister of Health in the first Congolese government but ended up serving as a minister of state. From 12 September to October 10 he briefly served as Minister of Health under Prime Minister Joseph Ileo. In February 1961 he was made Minister of Public Service, a post he held until 2 August, when was made Secretary of State for Justice. He returned to his position as Minister of Health on 11 July 1962.
  In 1997 Laurent-Désiré Kabila seized control of the Congo. Afterwards he created a commission to draft a new constitution for the country. Bolya was appointed to the commission.
  Bolya was the father of Désiré Bolya Baenga, an essayist and writer.
caption: First Congolese government
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