Press Review of 16 December 2005

The headlines in LE PALMARES read: "Assassination of a Head of State or his next of skin is indeed a common law crime:" the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) responded to DRC President's question whether the amnesty law could be applied to those who assassinated President Kabila. "CSJ reached this decision after reviewing the DRC law, the comparative law and jurisprudence," says the paper, indicating, "all of a sudden, the net has further tightened around Eddy Kapend and his henchmen jailed in the Kinshasa prison known as CPRK (Centre pénitencier et de rééducation de Kinshasa) (...) convicted "in connection with the assassination of Laurent Désiré Kabila; they are not definitely concerned by the amnesty law voted by the National Assembly; the Head of State may promulgate the amnesty law one of these mornings."

Under the headlines Referendum, UDPS reveals the hidden reasons for the boycott; the paper publishes an interview given to RADIO FRANCE INTERNATIONALE by UDPS political advisor, Mr. Mukendi wa Mulumba who declared, "PPRD (Joseph Kabila's party)'s boycotted the last chance negotiations sponsored by CIAT, in MONUC HQ," writes LE PALMARES. Had PPRD accepted to negotiate with UDPS, Etienne Tshisekedi's party, there could be room for "successful re-qualification of the peace process to make it credible," said Mr. Mukendi. "The failure of the negotiations is to be blamed on the component that boycotted the consultations," he further says.

LE PHARE refers to An incredible challenge by Etienne Tshisekedi, highlighting "UDPS was favorable to the CIAT-sponsored consultations in MONUC HQ which unfortunately turned to a big joke." The paper underscores Mr. Tshisekedi's attempt "to establish the illegitimacy of the electoral process," thereby "anticipating the failure of the process which, according to him, contains the seeds of its own destruction."

The paper also mentions the different calls by various DRC associations and parties on the Congolese people to vote "yes" or "no." In this respect, the leader of the "Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie (RCD)" and Vice-president Azarias Ruberwa arrived yesterday in
Kisangani
and the Minister of Defense of RCD, Adolphe Onusumba traveled to
Sankuru
to campaign for "yes" whilst the National Union of catholic teachers (SYNECAT) is campaigning for "no".

M17 denounces a conspiracy and calls for a boycott of the referendum, announces LE PHARE. "Le Mouvement de Liberation du 17 mai", pro late President Laurent Désiré Kabila, denounces "a re-colonization that is underway" and deplores that "diplomats have violated the
Vienna
convention by taking position publicly for the "yes" though the constitution is not theirs." According to LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES which echoes the secretary-general of M17, Augustin Kikukama, the power in place will do everything possible to "turn the Congolese people's "no" to "yes."

Congolese people divided between the "no" and the "yes", headlines the paper. "Congolese people's determination, impetuosity, drive and intransigence is an indication that there would be a massive vote for "no." Should the contrary prevail," writes the paper, "there would be a rebellion with incalculable consequences and difficult to control."

LE PALMARES announces the arrival, Monday in
Kinshasa
of the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Louis Michel, to "enquire about the referendum."