The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has just passed a government empowerment bill. This text will allow the executive to legislate, urgently, on subjects falling within the domain of the law during the parliamentary holidays which will begin after June 15th.
The bill was presented by the Minister of State, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Rose Mutombo, during the 100th meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Friday, June 2, 2023 under the leadership of President Félix Tshisekedi.
According to the report of the meeting read by Augustin Kibassa Maliba, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, New Technologies of Information and Communication, this bill falls within the framework of article 129 of the Constitution which authorizes the government to request from parliament the authorization to take measures by ordinance concerning matters falling within the domain of the law.
Since the changeover of the majority of the two chambers of parliament through the creation of the sacred union of the nation, the government has largely benefited from this measure of parliament to legislate on subjects that it deems important for the proper functioning of the Republic.
However, this approach by the government is criticized by opposition parliamentarians who consider that parliament should not act as a mere sounding board for the government.
Despite the political confusion that the country has been going through lately, the DRC government is continuing with its development projects. The economic and social sectors need reforms to enable the stabilization of the country, even if they face several security challenges.
In the meantime, the Government Enabling Bill remains an interesting topic of debate that we will continue to follow closely.