UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
9 Mar
2009
DRC Press Review
*Original text in French
Today's press comments on the on-going transition process in the DRC, as the controversy over the June 30 deadline continues.
Today's press comments on the on-going transition process in the DRC, as the controversy over the June 30 deadline continues.
In a front-page article titled 'The battle over June 30 has begun,' L'AVENIR announces there are 'now two camps confronting each other' and that 'one is seeking a constitutional coup while the other is insisting on extending the deadline as provided for by the Global and All Inclusive Agreement.'
'The two camps compete with each other to win support for their views,' adds L'AVENIR, which sees it as 'a battle between bad faith and rationality or legality.' The paper mentions that 'the international community speaks a different language ' a language of truth and pragmatism' in this regard.
On the same issue, LE PHARE has a piece titled '30 June 2005: tension mounts; Yerodia copiously insults (UDPS leader) Etienne Tshisekedi,' in which the paper explains that 'The Vice-President in charge of the Reconstruction and Development Commission, Yerodia Abdoulaye Dombassi, labelled Tshisekedi as 'an hallucinated twaddler' and (Tshisekedi's) words as ' wild imaginings'' Yerodia's remarks, explains the paper, were prompted by Tshisekedi's April 2 statement that 'the transition will end on 30 June 2005 and that starting July 1st, the DRC will return to the constitutional order (that was introduced by) the Sovereign National Conference' in the early 1990s.
On the question of whether the transition should be extended, LA REFERENCE PLUS, publishes a story titled 'Father Malu-Malu confirms, the street wonders', referring to the head of the Independent Electoral Commission. According to the story, 'It is almost official (that there will be) no elections tak(ing) take place before June 30. Father Malu-Malu, the president of the Independent Electoral Commission hinted at this last Friday. If the priest avoided using the word 'extension', he meant something close to that.'
'That's is no good news,' laments LA REFERENCE PLUS, warning that 'this could be a troubled week as some political parties refuse to give the current institutions a blank check if nothing concrete is done by 30 June 2005.'
Announcing that 'the CIAT takes note' of Father Malu-Malu's pronouncement, L'OBSERVATEUR reports that 'the International Committee In Support of the Transition once more calls on the officials of the transition and other political actors to demonstrate a deeper sense of civic responsibility and patriotism so that a sudden burst of national energy can lead to democratic and credible elections in the DRC.'
Citing 'concordant sources' L'OBSERVATEUR reports that 'the unarmed opposition component is to meet in the coming weeks to study ways and means for it to fully play its role in the new context thus created.'
In regards to the situation in the Great Lakes region, LE POTENTIEL titles 'Americans and Belgians In Consultation In Washington On the DRC-Great Lakes Issue.' According to the paper, this meeting is a 'sign that Washington and Brussels want to give a decisive impetus to the sluggish peace and democratisation process in the region.'
In the same regard, announcing 'Revelations on the Bush-Kagamé meeting,' LE PALMARES quotes the Rwandan President as saying 'there is no refusal (on Rwanda's part) to reintegrate the FDLR into the Rwandan society' 'President Kagame's stubbornness has diminished somewhat,' according to the paper.
'The two camps compete with each other to win support for their views,' adds L'AVENIR, which sees it as 'a battle between bad faith and rationality or legality.' The paper mentions that 'the international community speaks a different language ' a language of truth and pragmatism' in this regard.
On the same issue, LE PHARE has a piece titled '30 June 2005: tension mounts; Yerodia copiously insults (UDPS leader) Etienne Tshisekedi,' in which the paper explains that 'The Vice-President in charge of the Reconstruction and Development Commission, Yerodia Abdoulaye Dombassi, labelled Tshisekedi as 'an hallucinated twaddler' and (Tshisekedi's) words as ' wild imaginings'' Yerodia's remarks, explains the paper, were prompted by Tshisekedi's April 2 statement that 'the transition will end on 30 June 2005 and that starting July 1st, the DRC will return to the constitutional order (that was introduced by) the Sovereign National Conference' in the early 1990s.
On the question of whether the transition should be extended, LA REFERENCE PLUS, publishes a story titled 'Father Malu-Malu confirms, the street wonders', referring to the head of the Independent Electoral Commission. According to the story, 'It is almost official (that there will be) no elections tak(ing) take place before June 30. Father Malu-Malu, the president of the Independent Electoral Commission hinted at this last Friday. If the priest avoided using the word 'extension', he meant something close to that.'
'That's is no good news,' laments LA REFERENCE PLUS, warning that 'this could be a troubled week as some political parties refuse to give the current institutions a blank check if nothing concrete is done by 30 June 2005.'
Announcing that 'the CIAT takes note' of Father Malu-Malu's pronouncement, L'OBSERVATEUR reports that 'the International Committee In Support of the Transition once more calls on the officials of the transition and other political actors to demonstrate a deeper sense of civic responsibility and patriotism so that a sudden burst of national energy can lead to democratic and credible elections in the DRC.'
Citing 'concordant sources' L'OBSERVATEUR reports that 'the unarmed opposition component is to meet in the coming weeks to study ways and means for it to fully play its role in the new context thus created.'
In regards to the situation in the Great Lakes region, LE POTENTIEL titles 'Americans and Belgians In Consultation In Washington On the DRC-Great Lakes Issue.' According to the paper, this meeting is a 'sign that Washington and Brussels want to give a decisive impetus to the sluggish peace and democratisation process in the region.'
In the same regard, announcing 'Revelations on the Bush-Kagamé meeting,' LE PALMARES quotes the Rwandan President as saying 'there is no refusal (on Rwanda's part) to reintegrate the FDLR into the Rwandan society' 'President Kagame's stubbornness has diminished somewhat,' according to the paper.
