Political news in the DRC: Felix Tshisekedi and the choice of his party
Just a few months before the general elections scheduled for December 20, 2023 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the political party that will support the candidacy of current President Félix Tshisekedi remains uncertain. This vague situation raises many questions within the Congolese political class.
Among the voices that were heard, the National Coordinating Council (CNC) led by Pius Muabilu proposed to President Tshisekedi to stand on the list of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), the party founded by his father, the late Étienne Tshisekedi.
The CNC justifies this proposal by recalling that the late Étienne Tshisekedi devoted his life to the fight against anti-values, even defying persecution and imprisonment to defend democratic ideals. According to Meschak Mandefu, secretary general of the CNC, the candidacy of Félix Tshisekedi on the UDPS list would be a way to honor the memory of the patriarch and to recognize the sacrifice of the militants who fought for the advent of a State of right.
The CNC also points out that this proposal was made on May 9, 2021, during a meeting where party activists and executives nominated Félix Tshisekedi as their candidate for the next presidential election. Since then, the CNC has been actively campaigning for the re-election of the outgoing president.
This suggestion by the CNC quickly gained support within the Congolese political class, testifying to the importance of the UDPS and the influence of Félix Tshisekedi in the political landscape of the country.
In addition, the CNC welcomed the start of the Bukanga Lonzo trial, which highlights the massive fraud in the cocoa sector in the DRC, causing annual losses of 60 million dollars. The party hopes that this trial will shed light on this economic crime and punish those responsible.
On the other hand, the CNC condemns the remarks described as irresponsible by the former president of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Corneille Nangaa, concerning the alleged presence of FDLR elements in the Congolese armed forces (FARDC). The CNC calls for severe sanctions and considers that these are acts of high treason, alleging an influence of the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, on Nangaa.
While uncertainty persists as to the political party that will support the candidacy of Felix Tshisekedi, the CNC continues to mobilize its forces for the re-election of the outgoing president. The next few months will be decisive in determining the political path that the Democratic Republic of the Congo will take