The DRC in 2023: a Sacred Union without ideology or program?
Since Felix Tshisekedi came to power, political parties and platforms have proliferated in the DRC. According to a recent article on Media Congo, more than 500 political parties are now united under the Sacred Union, alongside sub-platforms mushrooming.
The observation is clear: most of these political parties have neither identified ideology nor program. The only stated ambition is to elect Félix Tshisekedi once again.
However, the concerns of the Congolese people, such as the recovery of the territories occupied by Rwanda, the food crisis, corruption, justice and access to water and electricity are numerous, and require appropriate responses. But it is clear that these subjects are not really taken into account.
Some authors draw critical conclusions about the Congolese political world. For Schumpeter, Bourdieu, Miches and many others, politics has become a profession, in which the dominant players are more concerned with corporate considerations than with the needs of the people.
Faced with this state of affairs, some are proposing radical solutions, such as banning the candidacy of former members of past majorities, or even opening up candidacies to personalities who have never held a political mandate.
It is true that certain figures of Congolese civil society, such as Denis Mukwege, Franck Diongo, Muleka, or Mubake, could offer progressive political solutions expected by the population.
It is also true that the ability of the people to mobilize to defend democracy remains very weak, despite article 64 of the Constitution which gives them the power to oppose any attempt at political manipulation.
The opposition, too, seems to want to support the power in place rather than proposing a radical or revolutionary change. This will no longer leave the possibility of rejecting the results of the upcoming elections, whose system of proclaiming the results is giving rise to many debates.
In short, the DRC is today at a turning point in its political history, where the stakes are numerous, but where the solutions are slow to be put in place. It remains to be seen whether the Congolese people will become fully aware of their role and their strength in this evolution.