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Parliament to Determine Future of DRC Government

   Peter Clottey 18 May 2010
   UN Mission in Democratic Republic of Congno and DRC soldiers get ready
   to deploy from Gemena (2009 file photo)

Photo: AFP

   UN Mission in Democratic Republic of Congno and DRC soldiers get ready
   to deploy from Gemena (2009 file photo)

   The  Democratic  Republic  of  Congoâs  information minister dismissed
   accusations  President  Joseph  Kabilaâs  government  has  failed  the
   country  ahead  of Wednesdayâs parliamentary vote on the future of the
   administration.

   Lambert  Mende said supporters of President Kabila will vote favorably
   to retain his administration in order to complete his term of office.

   âIt  is  a  vote against the government as a whole, not only the prime
   minister. The government was attacked by opposition leaders that there
   is  bad  governanceâ¦and we think that the majority (parliamentarians)
   will  defend  its  government.  But, we have to wait and see what will
   happenâ¦and see what parliament will decide,â he said.

   Opposition  groups  are demanding a vote of no-confidence in President
   Kabilaâs  government  after  accusing the administration of failing to
   keep its promises to solve the countryâs problems.

AFP Photo

   President Joseph Kabila

   The  opposition  cited  growing  insecurity  in  several  parts of the
   country  that  they  say  have  often led to scores of dead Congolese,
   thousands  of  internally  displaced  persons,  as  well  as destroyed
   properties - - charges information minister Mende sharply denies.

   âThis  is the usual speech of the opposition all over the world. There
   is  no  opposition  that  will say the government they oppose is doing
   somethingâ¦to  be  honest, everybody here can see whatever is going on
   in  this  country.  We are rebuilding, as it has never been done since
   (the) 1960âs,â Mende said.

   He  also  said  that  the  government  has  been  able  to restore the
   confidence  of  the post war Bretton Woods monetary institutions, such
   as  the  International  Monetary Fund and World Bank, in the countryâs
   ability to repay its debt.

   The  Congolese  government  has recently achieved relative peace after
   years  of  rebel  group  insurgencies  by  signing  peace accords with
   different  armed  groups  aimed  at  resolving the insecurity problem,
   especially in the restive north and south Kivu provinces.

   But,  the  former  combatants often threaten to begin another round of
   insurgency  after accusing President Kabilaâs government of abdicating
   its responsibilities stipulated in the peace accords.

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