UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
DRC Press Review
*Original in French
Today's local press is widely devoted to DRC President Joseph Kabila's current trip to the country's eastern part. But the papers also offer more comments on the divisive issue regarding the sharing of responsibilities in state-owned companies.
Today's local press is widely devoted to DRC President Joseph Kabila's current trip to the country's eastern part. But the papers also offer more comments on the divisive issue regarding the sharing of responsibilities in state-owned companies.
'Joseph Kabila triumphs in Kisangani' - L'OBSERVATEUR offers details of the President's current trip to the country's East, pointing out that Joseph Kabila, on this much-anticipated visit, had chosen Kisangani as his first stop. In the capital of the Province Orientale, the President received what the paper calls a more-than-enthusiastic welcome. 'The population turned up in huge numbers at the airport, along the way and at the rally outside the post office where the President addressed the audience in Swahili,' the paper writes.
In his Kisangani address, L'AVENIR reports, Joseph Kabila discussed the political situation in the country, marked by the establishment of the transitional institutions a little more than a year ago. He described his presence in Kisangani as 'a sign that our country is reunified from east to west and north to south.' On the economic side, the paper notes, 'Joseph Kabila shunned all demagoguery' and promised that 'everything will be done so a solution can be found,' the paper says. The President told local populations that the Transitional Government remained sensitive to their hardships imposed by foreign aggression. 'Never again will there be talk of another occupation of Kisangani, neither of any other part of our country,' he said. 'The Government is determined to organise elections and bring stability to Province Orientale,' he promised.
After being given a hero's welcome, Joseph Kabila was presented with a long list of grievances and demands in Kisangani, reports LE PHARE. The population has prepared 'a heap of memos,' announces the paper, saying that 'social concerns include water and power shortages owing to failures of the Tshopo dam; 6 years of overdue salaries for civil servants; companies were looted and forced to close down; difficult access to basic commodities and capital goods; bad roads; insecurity caused mainly by men in uniform; paralysed education and health systems, etc.'
President Kabila is expected to return to Kinshasa this Monday, says LE PHARE, quoting an AFP news dispatch, which notes that it was initially announced that the President would visit the town of Kindu, Bukavu and Goma as well. 'The Plans to visit these other towns have not been given up, but the President would make those visits in several stages,' the paper explains.
In Kisangani, Joseph Kabila 'got angry with the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs,' LE PALMARES announces. The President's anger, according to the paper, was caused by Mr. Karel De Gucht's description of Congolese political class as rather unimpressive. As quoted by the paper, the Belgian Minister said: 'In Congo, I met with very few political officials that left me under a convincing impression.' But on his impressions of Rwanda, Mr. De Gucht is quoted as saying 'there is a least a State and they are trying to run the country correctly.' The paper gives no details of President Kabila's response to those words. It however quotes one Western ambassador as saying 'a Minister of Foreign Affairs is bound to observe reserve and should not in any case offend the leaders of a friendly country.'
In connection with the issue on the sharing of posts in State-owned companies, LE POTENTIEL comments on an audit report on about 20 of the companies in question ' a report that it publishes in full. The paper describes as damning the conclusions of the report issued after investigations conducted jointly by the Revenue Court, the General Tax Inspectorate, the Permanent Accounting Council and the High Council On State-Owned Companies. 'Most of these companies are run in disregard of the rules, and those in charge handle these assets as if they were their own, ' comments the paper. Reforms are necessary if this situation is to be remedied, the paper recommends. New company heads should be appointed as a matter of urgency, says the paper, insisting the new appointees ought to be committed to respecting public goods and promoting transparency.
LE PHARE announces as imminent the creation of a commission to select new heads of state-owned companies. This should be done based on the audit report that 'illustrates in a blatant manner the plunder of state-owned companies.' On the criteria for selecting the future company leaders, the paper notes that the Transitional Constitution has set rules of common sense, specifically mentioning integrity, competence and credibility. 'Thus, political affiliation and other forms of affiliation and affinity, political or otherwise, cannot constitute a basis for the appointments in state-owned companies,' notes the paper, arguing that acting otherwise 'would amount to laying waste to national heritage and means of production.'
Sharing LE PHARE's analysis, LA REFERENCE PLUS invites the head of State to 'stand firm against politicising state-run companies.' According to the paper, 'President Joseph Kabila's position constitutes, for the personnel of these companies, the best guarantee of protection from political pressures and intimidations.' Joseph Kabila, the paper recalls, opposes the sharing of State-owned companies among the components and entities of the Transitional Government.
In his Kisangani address, L'AVENIR reports, Joseph Kabila discussed the political situation in the country, marked by the establishment of the transitional institutions a little more than a year ago. He described his presence in Kisangani as 'a sign that our country is reunified from east to west and north to south.' On the economic side, the paper notes, 'Joseph Kabila shunned all demagoguery' and promised that 'everything will be done so a solution can be found,' the paper says. The President told local populations that the Transitional Government remained sensitive to their hardships imposed by foreign aggression. 'Never again will there be talk of another occupation of Kisangani, neither of any other part of our country,' he said. 'The Government is determined to organise elections and bring stability to Province Orientale,' he promised.
After being given a hero's welcome, Joseph Kabila was presented with a long list of grievances and demands in Kisangani, reports LE PHARE. The population has prepared 'a heap of memos,' announces the paper, saying that 'social concerns include water and power shortages owing to failures of the Tshopo dam; 6 years of overdue salaries for civil servants; companies were looted and forced to close down; difficult access to basic commodities and capital goods; bad roads; insecurity caused mainly by men in uniform; paralysed education and health systems, etc.'
President Kabila is expected to return to Kinshasa this Monday, says LE PHARE, quoting an AFP news dispatch, which notes that it was initially announced that the President would visit the town of Kindu, Bukavu and Goma as well. 'The Plans to visit these other towns have not been given up, but the President would make those visits in several stages,' the paper explains.
In Kisangani, Joseph Kabila 'got angry with the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs,' LE PALMARES announces. The President's anger, according to the paper, was caused by Mr. Karel De Gucht's description of Congolese political class as rather unimpressive. As quoted by the paper, the Belgian Minister said: 'In Congo, I met with very few political officials that left me under a convincing impression.' But on his impressions of Rwanda, Mr. De Gucht is quoted as saying 'there is a least a State and they are trying to run the country correctly.' The paper gives no details of President Kabila's response to those words. It however quotes one Western ambassador as saying 'a Minister of Foreign Affairs is bound to observe reserve and should not in any case offend the leaders of a friendly country.'
In connection with the issue on the sharing of posts in State-owned companies, LE POTENTIEL comments on an audit report on about 20 of the companies in question ' a report that it publishes in full. The paper describes as damning the conclusions of the report issued after investigations conducted jointly by the Revenue Court, the General Tax Inspectorate, the Permanent Accounting Council and the High Council On State-Owned Companies. 'Most of these companies are run in disregard of the rules, and those in charge handle these assets as if they were their own, ' comments the paper. Reforms are necessary if this situation is to be remedied, the paper recommends. New company heads should be appointed as a matter of urgency, says the paper, insisting the new appointees ought to be committed to respecting public goods and promoting transparency.
LE PHARE announces as imminent the creation of a commission to select new heads of state-owned companies. This should be done based on the audit report that 'illustrates in a blatant manner the plunder of state-owned companies.' On the criteria for selecting the future company leaders, the paper notes that the Transitional Constitution has set rules of common sense, specifically mentioning integrity, competence and credibility. 'Thus, political affiliation and other forms of affiliation and affinity, political or otherwise, cannot constitute a basis for the appointments in state-owned companies,' notes the paper, arguing that acting otherwise 'would amount to laying waste to national heritage and means of production.'
Sharing LE PHARE's analysis, LA REFERENCE PLUS invites the head of State to 'stand firm against politicising state-run companies.' According to the paper, 'President Joseph Kabila's position constitutes, for the personnel of these companies, the best guarantee of protection from political pressures and intimidations.' Joseph Kabila, the paper recalls, opposes the sharing of State-owned companies among the components and entities of the Transitional Government.
