UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
4 Mar
2009
Press Review
MONUC's mandate during the electoral process, the South African President's address to the Transitional Parliament and the signing of the agreement on the economic cooperation between South Africa and the DRC are the major headlines in today's local press.
«MONUC is considering four options for the DRC census» as part of the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, headlines Le Phare echoing MONUC Wednesday press conference.
The UN Security Council resolution tasks MONUC, among other things, to assist the Congolese government to organize free, transparent and democratic elections. It is in this context that MONUC expert in elections, Ali Diabacté, announced that discussions on the four options were being held by the International Community and as well as by the Congolese parties.
The first option relates to a general census of the population and housing, including the Congolese and the foreigners living in the DRC, the second one consist in a light census, with very little variants, the third concerns voters' census only, and the fourth option relates to a census combined with a referendum. The transitional and national unity Government must choose one of the options, as a prelude to the polls, « MONUC has no official position» indicates the paper.
The DRC electoral process is included in the South-African government's agenda, said President Thabo Mbeki, who pledged financial assistance to the DRC on Wednesday. « The South African government promised ten (10) billion US dollars (60 billion rand) to be earmarked for the mining exploitation in North Eastern and South Eastern DRC» announces Le Phare. « This is one of the good news announced to the press after the signing Wednesday, of the agreement on the general cooperation between both countries represented by President Thabo Mbeki for South Africa and President Joseph Kabila for the DRC », says the paper. The agreement, recalls the paper, concerns various sectors such as Defence, Security, Politics, Human Rights Education, Agriculture, Livestock farming and Tourism.
« Those are the so many sectors in which South Africa has a real and confirmed expertise and which the DRC should take advantage of», says Le Potentiel. The paper refers to a « a masterly lesson of the political science by the South African President to the Congolese leadership», alluding to President Mbeki's address to the Parliament.
« African Renaissance will not be complete until we succeed in the DRC», declared President Thabo Mbeki, calling on the Congolese people to be « the first architect for their own liberation. » According to him, « the Congolese government should be able to meet their people's needs. » For Le Potentiel: « That is one more call on the Congolese political leadership made by the person whom the president of the National Assembly Olivier Kamitatu referred to as a tireless artisan of the peace, a man whose image will ever remain engraved on the Congolese memory for ever. »
Another image the Congolese will never forget, is the one of Laurent-Désiré Kabila, to whom Le Potentiel pays tribute, on four illustrated pages. On the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of the assassination of the former Congolese Head of State, on 16 January 2001, the paper provides a detailed account on the chronology of the war and the « tragic career of the maquis fighter
The UN Security Council resolution tasks MONUC, among other things, to assist the Congolese government to organize free, transparent and democratic elections. It is in this context that MONUC expert in elections, Ali Diabacté, announced that discussions on the four options were being held by the International Community and as well as by the Congolese parties.
The first option relates to a general census of the population and housing, including the Congolese and the foreigners living in the DRC, the second one consist in a light census, with very little variants, the third concerns voters' census only, and the fourth option relates to a census combined with a referendum. The transitional and national unity Government must choose one of the options, as a prelude to the polls, « MONUC has no official position» indicates the paper.
The DRC electoral process is included in the South-African government's agenda, said President Thabo Mbeki, who pledged financial assistance to the DRC on Wednesday. « The South African government promised ten (10) billion US dollars (60 billion rand) to be earmarked for the mining exploitation in North Eastern and South Eastern DRC» announces Le Phare. « This is one of the good news announced to the press after the signing Wednesday, of the agreement on the general cooperation between both countries represented by President Thabo Mbeki for South Africa and President Joseph Kabila for the DRC », says the paper. The agreement, recalls the paper, concerns various sectors such as Defence, Security, Politics, Human Rights Education, Agriculture, Livestock farming and Tourism.
« Those are the so many sectors in which South Africa has a real and confirmed expertise and which the DRC should take advantage of», says Le Potentiel. The paper refers to a « a masterly lesson of the political science by the South African President to the Congolese leadership», alluding to President Mbeki's address to the Parliament.
« African Renaissance will not be complete until we succeed in the DRC», declared President Thabo Mbeki, calling on the Congolese people to be « the first architect for their own liberation. » According to him, « the Congolese government should be able to meet their people's needs. » For Le Potentiel: « That is one more call on the Congolese political leadership made by the person whom the president of the National Assembly Olivier Kamitatu referred to as a tireless artisan of the peace, a man whose image will ever remain engraved on the Congolese memory for ever. »
Another image the Congolese will never forget, is the one of Laurent-Désiré Kabila, to whom Le Potentiel pays tribute, on four illustrated pages. On the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of the assassination of the former Congolese Head of State, on 16 January 2001, the paper provides a detailed account on the chronology of the war and the « tragic career of the maquis fighter
