At the heart of Congolese democracy, the Ebuteli research institute sheds a harsh light on the opaque practices that persist within the National Assembly. In a scathing report entitled “Transparency in the National Assembly is now”, the institute highlights the unsavoury underbelly behind the scenes of the legislative branch.
The facade of solidarity between deputies, whether they are from the majority or the opposition, creates a real wall of silence around certain unsavoury practices. Indeed, the report highlights how this tacit complicity between elected officials leads to the intentional withholding of information that is crucial for democratic transparency.
The heated debates on deputies’ emoluments were the perfect illustration of this solidarity that sometimes turns into repression. Those who dared to break the silence were stigmatized and repressed, thus demonstrating how much the truth is disturbing within an institution paralyzed by omerta.
However, parliament remains the essential pillar of any democracy. As Jacques Djoli, rapporteur of the National Assembly, pointed out, a strong parliament is the guarantor of a healthy democracy, whereas a weak parliament can lead to authoritarian drift. It is within it that power struggles are played out and the laws that shape the nation are forged.
To get out of this impasse, the Ebuteli Institute proposes bold avenues for reform. From the digitalization of legislative processes to the establishment of a secure electronic voting system, including the strengthening of parliamentary control, the recommendations are ambitious and essential to restore citizens’ trust in their representatives.
Ultimately, this report highlights the urgent need for in-depth reform of the Congolese National Assembly. Because it is by breaking the chains of opacity and complacency that democracy will be able to fully flourish in Congo. Now is the time to act, to reform and finally restore transparency to its former glory at the heart of the parliamentary institution.