UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
4 Mar
2009
Press Review
The president of the National Assembly responds to the Head of State's message to Parliament, and the New Year's greeting ceremony with the constituent bodies feature high in today's local press in Kinshasa.
Referring once again to the Thursday memorandum addressed to the Head of State by the president of the National Assembly, Le Phare feels that Kabila was misled. It recalls that the memorandum addressed to President Kabila by the National Assembly is a response to President Joseph Kabila's message to the Parliament castigating ''the deficit in the production of laws, the delay in examining the bills on the institutions due to support the democracy, materialistic motives, the tendency by the members of parliament to give more importance to Ministers' interpellations and missions abroad''. The paper notes that ''Olivier Kamitatu's response leads to a conclusion that if a delay is noted in the transitional process, more particularly in the production of laws' the fault mainly lies with the Government''. As proof, the paper quotes the president of the Assembly as recalling ''the different political and heavy budgetary constraints during the installation phase of the chamber, waiting in vain for laws pertaining to the institutions due to support the democracy, the late submission of the Government plan of action 'the Government's inability to present the bills on nationality, decentralization, organization of the army, amnesty, the electoral regime'''.
L'Avenir, for its part, comments that the National Assembly has violated the Constitution by responding to the Head of State. The paper explains that the Head of State's message should not be responded to, under article 110 of the Constitution. The article stipulates: ''Without prejudice to other clauses in this Constitution, the Head of State may communicate with the National Assembly and the Senate personally or through a representative and this does not give rise to any debate''. The paper reveals that the issue has been referred to the Supreme Court of Justice and the Supreme Court's position will be known within the next few days.
Exchanging New Year's greetings with the constituent bodies, the Congolese Head of State, Joseph Kabila, declared that he felt optimistic in leading the transition to elections, reports La Référence Plus. The journal further indicates that Joseph Kabila called on the Congolese to ''rebuild the DRC in peace, security and justice''.
L'Observateur, in turn, quotes the Head of State as indicating that the DRC is determined to recover its place within the community of nations ''displaying their common resolve to build a prosperous and dignified nation at the heart of Africa, that is respectful of human rights''.
Le Potentiel mentions President Kabila's interview to Belgian paper Le Soir on its front page, quoting him as declaring that he will not run for the presidential elections because ''he is an army officer of the Congolese armed forces, and the military are not allowed to stand for election''. The Head of State is further said to have declared:''I have not made any decision to change my status and I have no political party''. Le Potentiel notes that through this statement, ''the Head of State knowingly hid his intentions, attempting to take his potential rivals aback and to make them reveal their strategies''.
The UN Human Rights Experts Team investigating the massacre perpetrated in the area around lake Albert in Ituri is encountering enormous difficulties on the ground due to bad weather, reports L'Observateur echoing Catholic news agency, Misna. ''Due to bad weather, the team was unable, for two consecutive days, to get to lake Albert to collect information on the massacres perpetrated a few days ago''. The paper also indicates that a MOMUC helicopter with a team of investigators on board made another attempt to take off yesterday after the aircraft was grounded due to rain.
L'Avenir, for its part, comments that the National Assembly has violated the Constitution by responding to the Head of State. The paper explains that the Head of State's message should not be responded to, under article 110 of the Constitution. The article stipulates: ''Without prejudice to other clauses in this Constitution, the Head of State may communicate with the National Assembly and the Senate personally or through a representative and this does not give rise to any debate''. The paper reveals that the issue has been referred to the Supreme Court of Justice and the Supreme Court's position will be known within the next few days.
Exchanging New Year's greetings with the constituent bodies, the Congolese Head of State, Joseph Kabila, declared that he felt optimistic in leading the transition to elections, reports La Référence Plus. The journal further indicates that Joseph Kabila called on the Congolese to ''rebuild the DRC in peace, security and justice''.
L'Observateur, in turn, quotes the Head of State as indicating that the DRC is determined to recover its place within the community of nations ''displaying their common resolve to build a prosperous and dignified nation at the heart of Africa, that is respectful of human rights''.
Le Potentiel mentions President Kabila's interview to Belgian paper Le Soir on its front page, quoting him as declaring that he will not run for the presidential elections because ''he is an army officer of the Congolese armed forces, and the military are not allowed to stand for election''. The Head of State is further said to have declared:''I have not made any decision to change my status and I have no political party''. Le Potentiel notes that through this statement, ''the Head of State knowingly hid his intentions, attempting to take his potential rivals aback and to make them reveal their strategies''.
The UN Human Rights Experts Team investigating the massacre perpetrated in the area around lake Albert in Ituri is encountering enormous difficulties on the ground due to bad weather, reports L'Observateur echoing Catholic news agency, Misna. ''Due to bad weather, the team was unable, for two consecutive days, to get to lake Albert to collect information on the massacres perpetrated a few days ago''. The paper also indicates that a MOMUC helicopter with a team of investigators on board made another attempt to take off yesterday after the aircraft was grounded due to rain.
