Congolese political life is in constant effervescence. Political parties and platforms are multiplying, without anyone really knowing what they aspire to or what they are offering their electorate. Presidential elections have become the key to gaining power, but what is the project underlying this frantic quest for power?
In this state of affairs, popular concerns are pushed into the background. The recovery of the Congolese space occupied by Rwanda under the pretext of the M23, the food crisis which is literally killing the Congolese, the cancer of corruption which plagues all spheres of society, biased and partisan justice, the absence of access to drinking water and electricity, the increase in prices on the market, and the threat of the return of the dictatorship, all of this is concealed in favor of a single objective: to re-elect the current president.
Congolese politics has become a profession in its own right, where corruption, nepotism, clientelism and patrimonialism mingle. The Congolese people are completely forgotten in this desperate quest for power. Politicians no longer even know that the people exist, and only seek to use power for their own interests and those of those around them.
There are, however, political personalities who escape this heavy trend. Denis Mukwege, Franck Diongo, Muleka and other Mubake are able to offer Congolese progressive public policies. They propose a real upheaval in Congolese political life, far removed from the current routine and ineffective.
The blockage does not only come from the parties in power. The lack of a credible opposition adds to the difficulties. The latter is wasting its time trying to give legitimacy to the current majority, instead of seeking a radical or revolutionary change that would truly change the situation in the DRC.
It is time to ask the real questions about the capacity of our democracy to produce concrete changes and results for the Congolese people. We should give the people their place by allowing them to intervene in crucial decisions for the development of the country. Political figures who have already had the opportunity to lead must give way to new figures, capable of moving the DRC forward.
The potential is there, but it is time for political actors to wake up and remember that their primary mission is to serve the Congolese people and not to serve themselves. Let’s hope that Congolese democracy will soon take a decisive turn in favor of the people