Title: The “Congo Tolingi” project: a social contract for a better Congo
Introduction :
The question of political leadership, the economy, security, education and health preoccupy many Congolese. It is in this context that the citizen network “Pona Congo” initiated the “Congo Tolingi” project, aimed at collecting the concerns and expectations of citizens for the construction of a better Congo. After popular consultations throughout the country, the ceremony of restitution of the social contract took place at the municipal stadium of the commune of Masina. In this article, we will come back to the main conclusions of this social contract and the next steps of the project.
Major concerns:
The popular consultations carried out in the communes of Kinshasa, as well as in the cities and territories of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, revealed many concerns of the citizens. Among these are the lack of political leadership, insufficient consideration of local entrepreneurship in the economy, security issues, education and health. The Congolese believe that the Congo of today does not correspond to the one they want.
The social contract:
The “Congo Tolingi” project resulted in the creation of a social contract comprising 20 commitments to which all future candidates must adhere if they wish to obtain the support of the Congolese. This social contract is a summary of the concerns and expectations expressed during the popular consultations. It will be disseminated widely and citizens are encouraged to take ownership of it so that they can hold future leaders to account. Transparency and accountability will be key elements for the implementation of this social contract.
The next steps :
The second phase of the “Congo Tolingi” project will consist of a campaign for the appropriation of the social contract by as many citizens as possible. The goal is to ensure that all Congolese understand and support this commitment in view of the upcoming elections. The project remains open to all political actors and institutions who share the desire to solve the problems of the Congolese. Once the leaders are elected, control mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that they respect the commitments of the social contract. Citizens will thus be able to exercise their democratic power by sanctioning those who do not respect their commitments.
Conclusion :
The “Congo Tolingi” project represents a strong citizens’ initiative aimed at building a better Congo by giving voice to citizens and demanding that leaders respect their commitments. The social contract resulting from the popular consultations is a valuable tool to ensure transparency, accountability and accountability of future leaders. The next steps of the project will allow greater ownership of the social contract by citizens and effective implementation of its commitments