UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
9 Mar
2009
Press Review 15 March 2005
Today's local press places great emphasis on the review of the draft constitution and President Joseph Kabila's trip to Asia.
The headlines in La Tempête des Tropiques read: «Senate Speeds Things Up». The paper quotes Bishop Marini Bodho as announcing that the review of the 220 articles is due to end today. « Public opinion had to exert strong pressures on the parliament's upper chamber to get the latter to speed up the article-by-article adoption of the draft constitution. Proof: Senators voted about fifty articles yesterday, which brings the total of adopted articles to 195 out of the 220 contained in the draft constitution». L'Avenir also uses the word pressure, indicating « this is the only way to get the players of some transition's institution to organise free, transparent and democratic elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo». The paper writes « CIAT ultimatum to the Parliament expires today » and says the technical committee to follow up the basic legislation, comprised of the joint commission Senate/National Assembly and the international community, held a meeting on 9 March. The meeting decided that on 15 March both parliament chambers would exchange the documents under review. L'Avenir recalls the UN Deputy Special Representative, Ross Mountain'S statement: « We have noted some slight delay at this point. We believe that by 15 March, the State budget for the year 2005 will have been prepared by the National Assembly and the draft constitution approved by the Senate».
The headline in Le Potentiel focuses on President Kabila's visit to Asia. The paper mentions what it refers to as good results with « 7 million USD to be provided for the electoral process». However, Le Palmarès, on this issue, refers to President Joseph Kabila's tour as a failure, indicating that « Kabila's mission to Tokyo was a failure yesterday in Tokyo » since the Japanese prime minister turned down President Joseph Kabila's appeal for Japanese investors to come to the DRC.
In other news, Le Potentiel raises the volatile situation in Ituri, highlighting «Monuc hunts down armed groups». It quotes Mr. Williams Swing, the UN Special Representative and head of MONUC as declaring « all the militias, notably the Ituri's must lay down weapons and reintegrate the FARDC by 1st April. Otherwise, after this deadline, they will learn their lessons».
The headline in Le Potentiel focuses on President Kabila's visit to Asia. The paper mentions what it refers to as good results with « 7 million USD to be provided for the electoral process». However, Le Palmarès, on this issue, refers to President Joseph Kabila's tour as a failure, indicating that « Kabila's mission to Tokyo was a failure yesterday in Tokyo » since the Japanese prime minister turned down President Joseph Kabila's appeal for Japanese investors to come to the DRC.
In other news, Le Potentiel raises the volatile situation in Ituri, highlighting «Monuc hunts down armed groups». It quotes Mr. Williams Swing, the UN Special Representative and head of MONUC as declaring « all the militias, notably the Ituri's must lay down weapons and reintegrate the FARDC by 1st April. Otherwise, after this deadline, they will learn their lessons».
