Candidacy of Marie Josée IFOKU: A disruptive vision for the Renaissance of the DRC
The Congolese political landscape is preparing to welcome a new candidacy for the presidential election. Marie Josée IFOKU, President of the Alliance of Elites for a New Congo (AENC), recently submitted her application to the Office of Reception and Processing of Candidatures (BRTC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). This candidacy arouses great interest, not only because of its uniqueness as the first female candidacy, but also because of the innovative political vision it proposes: “kombolization”.
“Kombolization” is a political concept developed by Marie Josée IFOKU, which draws its inspiration from the word “kombo” meaning broom in Lingala. This ideology advocates the cleansing of anti-values and bad practices which have plagued Congolese political life since independence. For Ms. IFOKU, it is essential to break with the system of predation that prevailed for decades in the DRC. According to her, the Congolese people have been prey to leaders for too long and it is time to put an end to this situation.
The candidate claims to be the first to have used the concept of rupture when she presented herself in 2018. She considers that the rupture in question concerns the independence of the country, marked by a system of predation perpetuated by successive leaders . “Kombolization” proposes a clear and radical break with this system of predation by highlighting five key points, which will be developed later.
In her meeting with the President of the CENI, Denis KADIMA KAZADI, Marie Josée IFOKU expressed her confidence in the ongoing electoral process, while emphasizing the importance of cleaning the CENI to guarantee fair and transparent elections. She symbolically offered her support to President KADIMA KAZADI, thus testifying to her desire to put an end to the legitimacy crises which punctuated the previous elections.
The candidacy of Marie Josée IFOKU brings a breath of fresh air to the Congolese political scene. His vision of “kombolization” and his desire to break with the system of predation for the rebirth of the DRC arouse certain interest. It remains to be seen how this candidacy will be received by the Congolese people and what the reactions of other political actors in the country will be. One thing is certain, this presidential election promises to be full of twists and turns.