Tuesday's newspaper commentary is focused on whether or not there would be any political consultations prior to the forthcoming elections.

Reporting that differences are already appearing [among the actors in the transition] regarding the idea of holding consultations prior to elections, Le Potentiel believes that the first discordant note is likely to come from Vice President Azarias Ruberwa. While "the national president of the RCD does not question 30 July 2006 as the date for the first round of the presidential and parliamentary polls," Le Potentiel notes, "still he points out that the venue, agenda et format [of the proposed talks] have not yet been determined."

What's more, Le Potentiel adds, Azarias Ruberwa wants "foreign observers to attend [these consultations]. And for that reason he made a trip to Brazzaville [Republic of Congo] this past weekend to meet with President Denis Sassou Nguesso in his triple capacity: as his country's President, African Union Chairman and President of the CEEAC [Economic Community of Central African States]." [Mr. Ruberwa] is said to have also "contacted Presidents Blaise Compaoré in Ouagadougou and Faure Gnassingbé Eyadema in Lomé, asking them to attend these consultations as outside observers," Le Potentiel writes.

Because of "political and financial constraints, and especial in order to show respect for the Congolese people, these consultations should take place in Kinshasa - that is, if they do take place at all," Le Potentiel comments. These negotiations need to take place with the Congolese people " looking on this time, even if this may mean pressure," according to Le Potentiel, which hopes that MONUC's headquarters would be "an ideal venue [for such talks] to enable the participants (..) to address any concerns they still may have. [Holding these talks in] Libreville or another African town will evoke [for Congolese] old nightmares [experienced at the time of] the Sun City I and Sun City II [rounds of political negotiations]."

Libreville is likely to host these negotiations, according to La Tempête des Tropiques, which reports "political party representatives left [the Congolese capital] yesterday, heading for the Gabonese capital."

Meanwhile, as reported by Le Palmarès, the UDPS [opposition party] "still sticks to its plans for street demonstrations," insisting that there is a need to "review the [transition] process and give the transitional leaders a new mandate, as that provided by the Sun City negotiations expires on 30 June 2006".

Planned to take place in Kinshasa yesterday, the second inter-institutional meeting decided at an earlier such meeting last Wednesday did not happen, notes Le Phare, saying that no reason was given for this.

But according to La Référence Plus, this meeting did not take place because of President Joseph Kabila's absence from the capital. The paper publishes a statement from the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) in which the party of Vice President Azarias Ruberwa "denounces [Kabila's absence as something] unacceptable for the political partners, the international community and the [Congolese] population." This is especially deplorable because "last week's inter-institutional meeting had adopted a common position on the holding of consultations prior to 30 June [2006] on the one hand and on the other hand decided to hold a meeting on Monday, 27 June 2006 to determine the modalities and agenda for those consultations," La Référence Plus explains.

In New York, meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary-General presented to the Security Council his 21st report on the UN Mission in the DRC. Le Phare reports that Mr Kofi Annan declared himself "deeply concerned about increasing restrictions on the [Congolese] citizens' liberties, generalised abuse of public funds, and arbitrary detention of political party members." According to this paper, the Secretary-General also cast "doubts on the reliability of the elections scheduled for 30 July 2006."