UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
4 Mar
2009
Press Review
Today's local press focuses on MONUC troop-deployment operations in Eastern DRC, the CIAT (International Community for the Support of the Transition)'s concern over the functioning of the CEI (Independent Electoral Commission), Students' demonstration at the Kisangani University and the follow-up on Government Civil Servants and other Staff.
« MONUC deploys its troops to North and South Kivu», reports L'Avenir, echoing the information released by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the DRC on Wednesday. During a press conference, William Swing announced the deployment of troops in the eastern province of Maniema as well as North and South Kivu. «MONUC is spreading the net over the volatile areas», declared Mr. Swing, further assuring that «MONUC will ensure that DRC's neighbors no longer let armed men penetrate the DRC territory. »
The paper further emphasises what it describes as « Swing's warning against any delay in the holding of the elections. » It echoes the Special Representative's statement, which is interpreted as a « strong » signal to the Transitional Government: «Any delay in the organization of the DRC elections would be prejudicial to the population on whom the war has taken a heavy toll and who now need, and have the right, to enjoy the benefits of peace. » For the MONUC chief, « the current period should not be a transition for the sake of transition», for it must end in June 2005 with the holding of free, transparent and democratic elections.
The same concern is expressed by the International Committee for the Support of the Transition (CIAT), which « demands the independence of the CEI (Independent Electoral Commission)», indicates Le Potentiel. In an official declaration, echoed by the paper, the CIAT feels that « some of the clauses in the two versions of the bills discussed by the Senate and the National Assembly comply neither with the spirit nor the letter of the Constitution. »
The National Assembly adopted a law on the organization and functioning of the Independent Electoral Commission on 17 December 2003. Under the terms of article 7 of this law, which is the main bone of contention, the CEI is comprised of 21 members, at the national level, three of whom are drawn from the Civil Society and 18 posts attributed to the other components and entities having participated in the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, recalls the paper. The CIAT highlights that « some amendments generate confusion, to the extent that CEI independence is no longer assured. »
In other news, the paper reports the Wednesday demonstration by Kisangani students. According to Le Palmarès, « the students intervened to protest the exclusion of four of their colleagues from school. They demonstrated to oblige the university authority to go back on their decision. For several hours, they declined to remove the roadblocks erected in the street to block the traffic. Tension ran higher when the students clashed with the police dispatched to restore order. About 20 students and five policemen were injured. »
In Kinshasa, « Jean-Pierre Bemba initiates new negotiations» to end the civil servicemen strike, announces La Tempête des Tropiques. « To avoid any deterioration of the situation within the Public Administration, the Vice-President for Economic and Financial matters made an important decision to convene a round of open negotiations with the joint commission made up of the civil servants union and the Government in order to reach a social compromise that would make things better for everybody », writes the paper. Last week, the Government approved the claims of the civil servants and other Government staff that the lowest-ranking serviceman should earn 208 American dollars a month and the highest-ranking 2,080 dollars. The new salary scale could be implemented in April 2004. The other Government staff are reluctant/pessimistic and demand concrete and written commitments.
The inset headlines in the paper Le Potentiel read: «One MONUC senior staff accused of ill-treating her female house servant » « The young girl is more or less 24 years of age. She lives in Kinshasa, Mont Fleuri, in Ngaliema district, where she works as a house servant for one MONUC international staff, the head of the Budget department. The housemaid is from Senegal like her boss... The unfortunate whose hideous crime we ignore; on her boss's order, she was kidnapped, beaten and tortured by policemen...The scene took place in January of the current year... », says the paper.
The paper further emphasises what it describes as « Swing's warning against any delay in the holding of the elections. » It echoes the Special Representative's statement, which is interpreted as a « strong » signal to the Transitional Government: «Any delay in the organization of the DRC elections would be prejudicial to the population on whom the war has taken a heavy toll and who now need, and have the right, to enjoy the benefits of peace. » For the MONUC chief, « the current period should not be a transition for the sake of transition», for it must end in June 2005 with the holding of free, transparent and democratic elections.
The same concern is expressed by the International Committee for the Support of the Transition (CIAT), which « demands the independence of the CEI (Independent Electoral Commission)», indicates Le Potentiel. In an official declaration, echoed by the paper, the CIAT feels that « some of the clauses in the two versions of the bills discussed by the Senate and the National Assembly comply neither with the spirit nor the letter of the Constitution. »
The National Assembly adopted a law on the organization and functioning of the Independent Electoral Commission on 17 December 2003. Under the terms of article 7 of this law, which is the main bone of contention, the CEI is comprised of 21 members, at the national level, three of whom are drawn from the Civil Society and 18 posts attributed to the other components and entities having participated in the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, recalls the paper. The CIAT highlights that « some amendments generate confusion, to the extent that CEI independence is no longer assured. »
In other news, the paper reports the Wednesday demonstration by Kisangani students. According to Le Palmarès, « the students intervened to protest the exclusion of four of their colleagues from school. They demonstrated to oblige the university authority to go back on their decision. For several hours, they declined to remove the roadblocks erected in the street to block the traffic. Tension ran higher when the students clashed with the police dispatched to restore order. About 20 students and five policemen were injured. »
In Kinshasa, « Jean-Pierre Bemba initiates new negotiations» to end the civil servicemen strike, announces La Tempête des Tropiques. « To avoid any deterioration of the situation within the Public Administration, the Vice-President for Economic and Financial matters made an important decision to convene a round of open negotiations with the joint commission made up of the civil servants union and the Government in order to reach a social compromise that would make things better for everybody », writes the paper. Last week, the Government approved the claims of the civil servants and other Government staff that the lowest-ranking serviceman should earn 208 American dollars a month and the highest-ranking 2,080 dollars. The new salary scale could be implemented in April 2004. The other Government staff are reluctant/pessimistic and demand concrete and written commitments.
The inset headlines in the paper Le Potentiel read: «One MONUC senior staff accused of ill-treating her female house servant » « The young girl is more or less 24 years of age. She lives in Kinshasa, Mont Fleuri, in Ngaliema district, where she works as a house servant for one MONUC international staff, the head of the Budget department. The housemaid is from Senegal like her boss... The unfortunate whose hideous crime we ignore; on her boss's order, she was kidnapped, beaten and tortured by policemen...The scene took place in January of the current year... », says the paper.
