27/04/2024
Formation of the government Judith Suminwa: why does the government announcement take time?
The new Prime Minister of the DRC, Judith Suminwa, appointed on April 1, has still not officially taken office.
Three weeks after her appointment by President Félix Tshisekedi, she is still in consultations to form her new government.
It was announced for the end of the month, but this deadline seems increasingly difficult to meet.
Officially, there is no constitutional deadline for forming a government in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
We cannot speak of a delay regarding its announcement, however, sources close to the authorities assured that the new government team of the DRC should be revealed before the end of April.
A deadline which today seems difficult to meet.
The Head of State's schedule is particularly busy for the days to come, including a trip of several days to Europe and an official trip to France on April 28 and 29.
The first since coming to power.
The president will be accompanied by outgoing ministers.
“The government will rather be when it returns, probably around May 3,” explains a person close to the presidency.
One of the difficulties in forming this new government is due to the very nature of the Sacred Union of the Nation (USN), the platform which supported the candidacy of Félix Tshisekedi for this second term.
Its main quality is also sometimes its fault: it is gigantic. “Elephantic,” says a Congolese political scientist.
At least 400 elected officials, nearly 40 parties with a large majority in the National Assembly of course, but a lot of waiting on the part of all these allies.
Towards a tighter cabinet
Expectations which are not necessarily aligned with the stated ambition of having a tighter ministerial cabinet.
We are talking about 45 positions compared to more than 55 today.
Even if the work had been cleared upstream by the secretary general of the UDPS Augustin Kabuya during his information mission, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa has her own ideas.
She therefore resumed a cycle of consultations, quite broad since this week, she met artists, trade union organizations and other actors in civil society.
The parties which can claim a position in the government, it is necessary to have at least seven elected officials, must propose three names of potential candidates per position, coming from three different provinces.
A balanced provincial distribution is, in fact, one of the key elements of the government puzzle.
Finally, last aspect, linked to respect for institutions, Judith Suminwa to begin her work must be presented to the National Assembly, for this, the office must be set up and it is not easy on that side either.
The presidential majority had to organize a primary to succeed in bringing out its candidate for president of the institution.
Primary held at the People's Palace in Kinshasa, the Congolese Parliament, this Tuesday and which saw the victory of Vital Kamerhe.
For political scientist Christian Moleka, what led to this primary was “the difficult management of ambitions”.
What Augustin Kabuya, who signed the summons of deputies for this primary, did not hide at all: “The candidates could not come to an agreement,” he confided to RFI.
“Discomfort within the Sacred Union” Three candidates for one position.
On the one hand, Vital Kamerhe, at the head of the second political force in the Assembly, after the UDPS, originating from the East, an important element, because the president and the Prime Minister are from the West, he ticked all the boxes to claim the perch.
But Modeste Bahati, outgoing president of the Senate, also from the East and at the head of a party with around thirty elected officials, saw himself changing rooms.
While Christophe Mboso, outgoing president of the Assembly, hoped to remain in office.
Head of State Félix Tshisekedi has not made a decision, at least not officially.
“Wanting to leave arbitration to elected officials reveals the indecision and unease that exists within the Sacred Union,” adds Christian Moleka.
And it's not over, since several positions remain to be filled within the office of the National Assembly.
The UDPS, which therefore did not have the presidency, is aiming for the vice-presidency.
For which candidate?
A question to which there is no answer yet.
It will not be Augustin Kabuya who once announced that he wanted to run for this position, but who has since reversed this decision.
mediacongo
