Press Review of 18 April 2006

Today's press review mainly focuses on the visit by the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union to Kinshasa, DRC.

As announced, Alpha Omar Konaré, the chairperson of the Commission of the African Union got to Kinshasa yesterday, on a 48-hour visit. He is due to confer with "the four Vice-Presidents, the Head of the Independent Electoral Commission, MONUC Chiefs, and the ambassadors of the International Committee to Support the DRC transition," reports La Référence Plus. Alpha Konaré will also confer with "Etienne Tshisekedi Wa Mulumba, thus far unwilling to join what he refers to as illegal process," further says La Tempête des Tropiques. He will as well attempt "to persuade UDPS leader to stand at the upcoming presidential election," says Le Palmarès.

The mission is apparently "difficult..., "writes La Tempête des Tropiques. Since he will have to get the "Independent Electoral Commission to register Etienne Tshisekedi for the presidential elections and UDPS members for the legislative elections though the registration operation was concluded," predicts La Tempête des Tropiques.

"The former Malian President and the Head of the Independent Electoral Commission Cei, the Transition stakeholders and CIAT members must realize that Congolese people need the kind of elections that would bring a lasting peace...,", highlights La Tempête des Tropiques.

It is obviously "too late to bring back Etienne Tshisekedi into the process," considers L'Avenir since "it has already gone a long way and there is no more room for latecomers," explains L'Avenir.

On the issue on whether to prolong the transitional period or no, the civil society has expressed the hope that "any prolongation of the transition should be consensual," reports Le Phare. "There are two opposed tendencies over the 30 June 2006 deadline," notes Le Potentiel. There are on one hand, those holding that the "Transition must end on 30 June 2006, under the all-inclusive agreement... [and on the other, those arguing that "the current institutions shall remain in place until the corresponding institutions from the polls are effectively put in place...," says Le Phare.