UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
9 Mar
2009
DRC Press Review
*Original in French
The debates in the National Assembly toward the adoption of the draft constitution are the main focus of attention in today's press.
The debates in the National Assembly toward the adoption of the draft constitution are the main focus of attention in today's press.
'MPs divided over the proper age to be President, and the form of the State,' announces LE POTENTIEL's leading headline. According to this paper, 'the plenary session of the National Assembly on the second review of the draft constitution kept all its promises, with the first points of disagreement emerging already.' LE POTENTIEL explains that 'concerning the [minimum] age to be President, some MPs support the proposal by the Senate to set that age at 45. Still, others reject this proposal, arguing that it tends to exclude the youth. Instead, they offer three counter-proposals: 23, 30 and 35 years. For MPS of this group, the constitution must have an impersonal character.' 'On the issue on the form of the State', the paper notes that 'views diverge too. The battle in the National Assembly between supporters of a unitary State and those echoes that which was earlier witnessed in the Senate on the same issue.'
In the same regard, L'AVENIR titles 'The federalists and unitarists clash in the National Assembly.' 'The federalists argue that misery, poverty and the underlying under-development are the outcomes of a disastrous management of unitarianism. The unitarists, on the other hand, want to move toward federalism by steps, recognising the need to consolidate national unity after five years of war,' the paper reports.
On the same subject, L'OBSERVATEUR writes: 'The idea of a federal State was embraced by a majority of MPs. They drew their argument from the country's experience with past laws and constitutions. Notably, reference was made to the constitutions of 1 October 1964 and of 1960, and that which was drafted at the Sovereign National Conference' in the early 1990s. According to the paper, others issues discussed by the MPs included proposals for 'the provinces to retain locally raised revenues, the abolition of the death penalty, reform of the justice system, and regarding the political regime.'
'The MPs revise the shortcomings of the Senators,' LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES announces. According to this paper, 'The constitution written by the Senate contains inconsistencies, contradictions and mixed up ideas.' And 'the fact that 220 MPs requested the floor offers a measure of the dissatisfaction with this document they regard as complacent,' the paper explains
'MONUC stands by its word,' announces LE PHARE, referring to the UN mission's ultimatum that the Ituri militias disarm by 1April 2005. Quoting MONUC chief of staff, General Colot Escury, the paper says: ' MONUC will have no qualms about those who would have deliberately chosen to not join the process. They would be regarded as outlaws.' 'These will be hunted down, disarmed and prosecuted in accordance with Congolese law,' the paper adds.
However, LE POTENTIEL in the same regard reports that 'MONUC gives two more weeks to the Ituri militiamen.' 'The doors will remain open for two weeks before closing to the Ituri militias for ever,' adds the paper, assigning these words to MONUC's chief of staff.
Also regarding MONUC, LE PALMARES announces: 'MONUC's mandate has been extended for six months.' The paper stresses that 'the resolution, which was unanimously adopted, approved the extension of MONUC's mandate and the necessary means to protect civilians and the peace process in the DRC. MONUC can use checkpoints and conduct search operations to prevent attacks on civilians and disrupt the military capability of illegal armed groups that continue to use violence.'
In the same regard, L'AVENIR titles 'The federalists and unitarists clash in the National Assembly.' 'The federalists argue that misery, poverty and the underlying under-development are the outcomes of a disastrous management of unitarianism. The unitarists, on the other hand, want to move toward federalism by steps, recognising the need to consolidate national unity after five years of war,' the paper reports.
On the same subject, L'OBSERVATEUR writes: 'The idea of a federal State was embraced by a majority of MPs. They drew their argument from the country's experience with past laws and constitutions. Notably, reference was made to the constitutions of 1 October 1964 and of 1960, and that which was drafted at the Sovereign National Conference' in the early 1990s. According to the paper, others issues discussed by the MPs included proposals for 'the provinces to retain locally raised revenues, the abolition of the death penalty, reform of the justice system, and regarding the political regime.'
'The MPs revise the shortcomings of the Senators,' LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES announces. According to this paper, 'The constitution written by the Senate contains inconsistencies, contradictions and mixed up ideas.' And 'the fact that 220 MPs requested the floor offers a measure of the dissatisfaction with this document they regard as complacent,' the paper explains
'MONUC stands by its word,' announces LE PHARE, referring to the UN mission's ultimatum that the Ituri militias disarm by 1April 2005. Quoting MONUC chief of staff, General Colot Escury, the paper says: ' MONUC will have no qualms about those who would have deliberately chosen to not join the process. They would be regarded as outlaws.' 'These will be hunted down, disarmed and prosecuted in accordance with Congolese law,' the paper adds.
However, LE POTENTIEL in the same regard reports that 'MONUC gives two more weeks to the Ituri militiamen.' 'The doors will remain open for two weeks before closing to the Ituri militias for ever,' adds the paper, assigning these words to MONUC's chief of staff.
Also regarding MONUC, LE PALMARES announces: 'MONUC's mandate has been extended for six months.' The paper stresses that 'the resolution, which was unanimously adopted, approved the extension of MONUC's mandate and the necessary means to protect civilians and the peace process in the DRC. MONUC can use checkpoints and conduct search operations to prevent attacks on civilians and disrupt the military capability of illegal armed groups that continue to use violence.'
