During the conference-debate organized in Kinshasa by the Institute for Democracy, Governance, Peace and Development of Africa (IDGPA) to celebrate the 18 years of existence of the constitution of the DRC, the Minister of Industry Julien Paluku Kahongya shared his thoughts on the theme “Political perspective on the Constitution of the DRC: A trapped decentralization”.
With his experience as former governor of North Kivu and his in-depth knowledge of decentralization, Julien Paluku stressed the need for a constitutional revision to transform decentralization into a real engine of development in the DRC. He highlighted the “weaknesses” encountered over the past 18 years and called for reforms to address them.
Professor André Mbata, executive director of the IDGPA, also called for a reassessment of the constitution, highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses. Professor Jean-Luc Esambo highlighted the importance of organizing governance effectively to prevent institutional and military coups.
As for Professor Jacques Ndjoli, he stressed the need to review and rewrite the current constitution, the result of a historic compromise. Finally, Professor Isidore Ndaywel criticized accusations of an alleged “hidden agenda” aimed at revising the constitution, and called for the establishment of a multidisciplinary Commission to evaluate the effectiveness of the February 2006 constitution.
These reflections underline the importance of in-depth reflection on the constitution of the DRC and decentralization, with the aim of strengthening democracy and the development of the country.