OWN CORRESPONDENT, Goma | Monday 9.30pm.
DEMOCRATIC Republic of Congo President Laurent Kabila has named a commission to review a report on constitutional change.
Kabila, who hand-picked the members of the commission himself, said he was forced to abandon plans to present the study to parliament by “exceptional wartime circumstances”.
The 12-man institutional reform commission has 30 days to review the report and propose any “necessary changes” to the head of state. It will be chaired by Justice Minister Mwenze Kongolo, a staunch Kabila loyalist.
A study by a constitutional committee was due to be presented to a parliamentary assembly, which has been proposed under a transition programme put forward by Kabila. A referendum would then be held.
Kabila has promised elections for April 1999, but only if foreign troops have been forced out. kabila insistes the rebellion in the east f the country is an “invasion” be neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda.
Meanwhile, the rebels fighting to depose Kabila have taken the eastern town of Kamituga in South Kivu region, rebel officials said Monday. The town, which is about 80km south-west of Bukavu on the way to Kindu, a strategic air base, was captured on Friday. The rebels claim also to have taken control of Isiro, 380km north-east of Kisangani.
Rebel information officer Etienne Ngongura said Monday that South Kivu regional capital Bukavu and the rebel stronghold of Goma at the northern end of Lake Kivu were calm despite government claims that its forces were surrounding both towns.
“Both towns are safe,” Ngongura said in Goma. “There are no threats.” He dismissed as “psychological warfare” unconfirmed reports that forces loyal to Kabila had distributed leaflets in Goma warning of another attack.