UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
Press Review
The imminent cabinet reshuffle and appointment of new leadership within the 'People's Party for Reconstruction and Development (PPRD)', close to President Joseph Kabila are the focus for today's local press.
Under the headline Cabinet reshuffle: Political parties on their guard, LE POTENTIEL heralds ''upheavals'' in all the different components within the transitional Government. In this regard, the paper notes that ''RCD, deeply affected by the crisis in Kivu and the revolt by its reformist MPs, will be obliged to remove some of its members from the government in order to close up a bit''. This is also true for RCD-N, which ''recently broke its ties with MLC''. The paper further predicts ''big changes which have already started within president's Kabila's political party'' with the appointment of a new PPRD leadership. The ''changes'' will also affect ''the Civil Society, ordered by President Kabila to get rid of three of its four representatives in the government'', the paper reports, adding that the political opposition, ''like a real volcano about to erupt, will jump on this opportunity to bring out its perpetual rows''. Amidst this restlessness, the paper highlights, ''only MLC led by Jean-Pierre Bemba is apparently opposed to any change of its representatives in the government''.
According to LE PHARE, this cabinet reshuffle will be done today ''barring accidents''. The paper says that ''RCD's list may delay the publication of the new Government set-up'', adding that ''some of its outgoing ministers such as Ondekane for Defence and Mudumbi for Public firms would put up resistance to the change''.
The headline in LE PALMARES reads: cabinet reshuffle: one of the vice-presidents risks falling. The paper indicates that ''within the Head of State's party, not only ministers and vice-ministers will be removed for obvious reasons; the removal of Abdoulaye Yerodia Ndombasi, Vice-president for Reconstruction and Development matters becomes indispensable''. The paper says that Vice-president Yerodia's detractors refer to him as ''dying person'', while on his long trip abroad.
FORUM DES AS mentions the recent reorganisation in PPRD, having culminated in the nomination of Vital Kamerhe, the current Minister of Information, as head of the party, ''to be assisted by Marie-Ange Lukiana Mufuankolo and Philémon Mukendi'', the paper indicates.
LA REFERENCE PLUS describes the choice made by President Kabila's political party as ''judicious and necessary for the triumph of the party''. LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES is of the same opinion and comments ''PPRD has named its team for election campaign''. According to the paper, the choice of ''a young man well-known by the population of Kinshasa to lead the party is a good thing and is in the interest of the President's party''. According to L'AVENIR, the newly appointed head of the PPRD is tasked to prepare, in the shortest possible time, a congress for the party' that will lay the foundation of ''the preparation of the presidential elections which PPRD is determined to win''.
In another development, Justice is consolidating in Ituri, further announces L'OBSERVATEUR, adding that ''two leaders of militia groups in Ituri were arrested by MONUC for attempting to undermine the transitional process'': Floribert Kisembo of 'Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC)' and Pitshou Iribi of 'Front des Nationalistes Intégrationnistes (FNI)'. Floribert Kisembo is blamed for ''recruiting new militiamen, more particularly the children'' while Pitshou Iribi is locked up for ''criminal conspiracy'', the paper says.
Against this background, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the DRC, William Lacy Swing, introduced the new head of MONUC Rule of Law Section, Ms Harriet Solloway, to the Congolese Minister of Justice on Thursday, Ms Harriet Solloway. L'AVENIR, which echoes this information, adds that ''the three personalities explored every avenue for Monuc to assist the ministry of Justice in its bid to establish a rule of law in Congo-Kinshasa''. The paper highlights that the objective pursued is to improve the Congolese judicial system regarding the training of magistrates, judicial police officers as well as improving living conditions in the detention cells and for magistrates.
According to LE PHARE, this cabinet reshuffle will be done today ''barring accidents''. The paper says that ''RCD's list may delay the publication of the new Government set-up'', adding that ''some of its outgoing ministers such as Ondekane for Defence and Mudumbi for Public firms would put up resistance to the change''.
The headline in LE PALMARES reads: cabinet reshuffle: one of the vice-presidents risks falling. The paper indicates that ''within the Head of State's party, not only ministers and vice-ministers will be removed for obvious reasons; the removal of Abdoulaye Yerodia Ndombasi, Vice-president for Reconstruction and Development matters becomes indispensable''. The paper says that Vice-president Yerodia's detractors refer to him as ''dying person'', while on his long trip abroad.
FORUM DES AS mentions the recent reorganisation in PPRD, having culminated in the nomination of Vital Kamerhe, the current Minister of Information, as head of the party, ''to be assisted by Marie-Ange Lukiana Mufuankolo and Philémon Mukendi'', the paper indicates.
LA REFERENCE PLUS describes the choice made by President Kabila's political party as ''judicious and necessary for the triumph of the party''. LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES is of the same opinion and comments ''PPRD has named its team for election campaign''. According to the paper, the choice of ''a young man well-known by the population of Kinshasa to lead the party is a good thing and is in the interest of the President's party''. According to L'AVENIR, the newly appointed head of the PPRD is tasked to prepare, in the shortest possible time, a congress for the party' that will lay the foundation of ''the preparation of the presidential elections which PPRD is determined to win''.
In another development, Justice is consolidating in Ituri, further announces L'OBSERVATEUR, adding that ''two leaders of militia groups in Ituri were arrested by MONUC for attempting to undermine the transitional process'': Floribert Kisembo of 'Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC)' and Pitshou Iribi of 'Front des Nationalistes Intégrationnistes (FNI)'. Floribert Kisembo is blamed for ''recruiting new militiamen, more particularly the children'' while Pitshou Iribi is locked up for ''criminal conspiracy'', the paper says.
Against this background, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the DRC, William Lacy Swing, introduced the new head of MONUC Rule of Law Section, Ms Harriet Solloway, to the Congolese Minister of Justice on Thursday, Ms Harriet Solloway. L'AVENIR, which echoes this information, adds that ''the three personalities explored every avenue for Monuc to assist the ministry of Justice in its bid to establish a rule of law in Congo-Kinshasa''. The paper highlights that the objective pursued is to improve the Congolese judicial system regarding the training of magistrates, judicial police officers as well as improving living conditions in the detention cells and for magistrates.
