UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
Press Review of 30 December 2005
Battle
for Electoral Law. Besides the electoral law, MPS also reviewed the draft financial law for the year 2006. The paper reports a concern raised by MPs of the "Parti Lumumbiste Unifié (PALU)" asking on which basis the electoral law will be adopted, on the transition basis or the referendum? The MPs made two observations: firstly, the draft constitution submitted to the referendum, 18 December, stipulates in its article 222 on the transition and final arrangements: "the transition institutions will remain on duty until the corresponding institutions provided for in the new constitution are effectively put in place, (...) the MPs should perform their duties in keeping with the transition's constitution." Second observation: the articles 222 and 229 stipulate in substance that the transition's Constitution will be abrogated upon the promulgation of the new constitution. This implies LE POTENTIEL points out, that "even after the promulgation of the new constitution, the transition political institutions shall remain in power until new institutions are put in place and will continue working under the transition law." The MPs of PALU therefore draw the following lesson, "immediately after the new constitution is promulgated, the country will have a government, a parliament and a de facto president, having no legal framework to discharge their duties (...) in the absence of a basic text to legislate and run the State," notes the paper.
The MPs also reacted to the non-refundable security fund issue demanded from political parties that will be transferred to the public Treasury, as a requirement for their participation to the elections as candidates. The provisions are nothing but an exclusion from the elections "taking advantage of the financial poverty (...of) Congolese people who, according to their political historical background, may have committed the sin of not robbing the State coffer to sell their souls to those who, by force of weapons and malice, gained control of the country's wealth." They call for the cancellation of such "anti-democratic provision," says LE POTENTIEL. LA REFERENCE PLUS, for its part, asks a number of questions: "Does DRC need an open ballot to everybody;? Will the requested security fund be cut down for those applying for MPs and other positions?; What do MPs and senators think about this issue;? Are they going to imitate closely what is done elsewhere?;" The paper calls for good sense, "to allow those having little means to also apply for MPs and other positions," notes the paper.
"The credibility of the (upcoming) ballots is firstly dependent upon the quality of the electoral law which must be free from favoritism," writes LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES. Under the headlines "After a protested referendum," CEI faced with the challenge of credible 2006 elections, the paper calls on the Commission to "avoid further flaws like in the referendum." "DRC people and friends' only wish is to have credible elections organized next year." Referring to the danger of combining the presidential and legislative elections, the paper advises MPs and senators against "endorsing, without amendment, the electoral calendar proposed by the CEI."
CIAT takes great pride in the last referendum, writes LE PALMARES on its front page, publishing a communiqué of the International Committee to support the Transition. "CIAT voices its deep admiration for the Congolese people's courage in discharging their civic duty with serenity and turning up massively to the polls. (...It) congratulates the CEI, the whole electoral team as well as the other transition institutions who carried out the huge task across the DRC with little support from the International Community," says the communiqué.
Pastor Théodore Ngoy kidnapped once again by about thirty soldiers says the paper. In a letter addressed to the Special Representative of the United Nations for the DRC, the leader of the party " pour la Justice (C. Just)" and spokesman of the Rally for No (RPN), Mr. Ngoy, describes his arrest as illegal and irregular and accuses the Ministries of Interior, Justice, Colonel Raïs, President Kabila's special Advisor and even the DRC President for masterminding the arrest. LE PALMARES quotes the pastor as declaring that the arrest is the result of RPN's request to the Supreme Court of Justice to cancel the results of the constitutional referendum. Pastor Ngoy "declares being beaten and handcuffed without any consideration," writes for its part LE PHARE. "MONUC staff who visited him came under threat," further says the paper, wondering "why the electoral campaign should take place amidst threat and intimidations." The paper therefore concludes: "The question must be addressed to CIAT."
The evolution of the electoral process will be at the center of the year-end message to be delivered by the Congolese President, says LE PHARE. The President will certainly "put an end to the counter-productive strategy adopted during the referendum campaign when siding with the "yes" camp to the detriment of the "no". The President must play the role of "unifier," avoid any triumphalism as expected by "his political party" and courageously address the real problems faced by the Congolese people.
