Reunification of UDPS/Tshisekedi and UDPS/Kibassa: A sacred union for the development of Congo
Yesterday Monday, June 12, 2023, a high-level meeting was organized between two key members of two factions of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS). Séraphin Umba, secretary general of UDPS/Kibassa, and Augustin Kabuya, secretary general of the presidential party UDPS/Tshisekedi, have reunited after many years of disunity. This symbolic meeting comes a few months before the elections and on the eve of the birthday of President Félix Tshisekedi who celebrated his 60th birthday on Tuesday, June 13.
According to Séraphin Umba, this meeting is proof of the work done on the ground to give President Félix Tshisekedi a second term as well as a substantial parliamentary majority to pursue his development projects in favor of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
For the UDPS, it is imperative to act for the reunification of all the factions of the party in order to define new strategies, pool intelligence and retain power, after more than 30 years of political struggle. The objective is for the UDPS to be one and indivisible, as Frédéric Kibassa Maliba and Étienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba wished before their disappearance.
A reunified UDPS would bring together the entire base and scattered skills, encourage the Congolese to express themselves in a living democracy and strengthen the country’s stability.
Although the members of the UDPS/Tshisekedi want the reunification of the party, they do not close the door to other political forces. On the contrary, Augustin Kabuya, had insisted on the same message of reunification during a meeting last March in Kananga. The UDPS therefore has a moral obligation to reconcile and put itself in battle order so that President Tshisekedi can stand for a second term.
This decision could therefore prove to be decisive in the legislative elections next December. The Democratic Republic of Congo needs a united, refreshed and strong UDPS to allow everyone to move forward with ambition and confidence in the future.