Sun City | Friday
THE government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has announced it was prepared to hold elections in the war-torn country within 18 months provided Joseph Kabila remains president until then.
Communications Minister Kikaya bin Karubi said the Kabila government was ready to accept the deadline of between one year and 18 months for what would be the former Zaire’s first-ever vote since it achieved independence from Belgium in 1960.
He also outlined Kinshasa’s position on the future governance of the country, which the government tabled Thursday at peace talks under way in South Africa.
Bin Karubi said Kinshasa had proposed that a transitional government of national unity be formed following the 45-day talks, in which members of opposition parties and the country’s rebel movements will be given positions.
”We want them to join us in a government of national unity and reconciliation, and for that government then to be in charge of organising local and parliamentary elections,” he said.
”We can hold the elections in 12 to 18 months, that will be fine.”
Kinshasa had previously said it would take at least two to three years to call a vote, with Foreign Minister Leonard She Okitundu explaining in September that the country first needed a new constitution and census count.
The government is proposing the shorter timeframe with two weeks to go before the talks end on April 12, and no agreement in sight on Kabila’s status.
Bin Karubi emphasised that the government was not prepared to budge and cede to the rebel movements’ insistence that Kabila step down and let a new head of state lead the transition.
”We can have a prime minister and vice prime-ministers from other movements, we can decide that so-and-so will get the economics ministry all positions are negotiable, except that of President Kabila,” he said.
He added that the government had alternatively proposed that the DRC hold parliamentary elections immediately after the talks end on April, but that this was not its preferred position.
”Either we go back and have elections to constitute a new parliament with Joseph Kabila as president or we have a national government of unity. We prefer the second one of course, but either way he remains president.”
The secretary-general of the Ugandan-backed Congolese Liberation Movement, Olivier Kamitatu, said: ”There is no agreement in the political commission. We have listened to everybody’s position and it is still wide open. The status of Joseph Kabila is in question.”
The government’s rethink on an election date comes after rebels said Kinshasa had been isolated on the second big sticking point at the talks the formation of a post-war army for the vast country. According to Kamitatu all delegates except those of the government agreed that a mechanism should be established to form a new national military composed of regular government soldiers and the rebels who control two-thirds of the DRC.
”For the first time they were totally isolated on this issue.
They had been counting on the support of the civil society and the Mai-Mai (militia) but now we are hoping that with a little more pressure … we can have a breakthrough on this.”
Bin Karubi said Kinshasa objected to rebel demands that the new army draw a third of its troops each from the Congolese Armed Forces, the MLC and the RCD.
”We will integrate their fighters … but for them to say that it must be in equal numbers is unacceptable.”
He added that Kinshasa had concerns about the nationality of the rebels who are backed by Uganda and Rwanda — and wanted proof that those joining the military were truly Congolese.
So far the commission on defence has agreed only that all foreign armies should leave the DRC and militias should be disarmed, if need be by force, according to working documents sent to AFP.
The talks have proceeded better in commissions dealing with the economy, social projects and plans to reconcile the DRC’s 50-million people in the wake of the war that has drawn in six foreign armies.
The 360 delegates drawn from the government, rebels, opposition and civil society were to break for Easter on Friday and reconvene for a plenary session Monday. – Sapa-AFP