Cablegate: Elections Update: Momentum in Moving Toward

VZCZCXRO1664
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #1890 3551754
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211754Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5329
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS KINSHASA 001890

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM CG ELECTIONS
SUBJECT: ELECTIONS UPDATE: MOMENTUM IN MOVING TOWARD
FUNCTIONAL INSTITUTIONS

REF: KINSHASA 1856

1. Summary. Antoine Gizenga, widely expected to become
Prime Minister, was named government "informateur" on
December 19 and is charged with determining if a majority can
be found in the National Assembly. The Supreme Court will
soon announce its certification of the National Assembly's
Internal Rules and its decision of the MLC's challenge to
those rules ahead of the December 23 deadline (reftel).
Provincial Assemblies began to meet throughout the country on
December 18, and are preparing to elect both senators and
governors. End summary.

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Prime Minister
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2. The National Assembly has undertaken the preliminary
processes necessary to identify an Assembly majority ahead of
the formal announcement of the DRC's new Prime Minister. On
December 19, President Joseph Kabila designated Antoine
Gizenga, head of the Unified Party of Lumumbists (PALU), as
the government "informateur" with the responsibility of
determining if a majority or a majority coalition can be
found in the National Assembly. According to the Congolese
constitution, the new Prime Minister will be named from among
this majority.

3. The Alliance for the Presidential Majority (which
includes Kabila's Peoples' Party for Reconstruction and
Democracy (PPRD), along with Gizenga's PALU party and Nzanga
Mobutu's Union of Democratic Mobutuists party (UDEMO)) holds
over 300 of the 500 seats in the Assembly and will be
designated as the majority coalition. In fact, the
Presidency is reported to be anxious to name the Prime
Minister, and Gizenga has already been conferring with
various political groups. Kabila is expected to name Gizenga
as Prime Minister, perhaps as early as the upcoming holiday
weekend.

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Supreme Court, National Assembly
--------------------------------

4. The Supreme Court has not yet announced a decision on
Jean-Pierre Bemba's Movement for the Liberation of the Congo
(MLC) party's challenges to the Internal Rules of the
National Assembly (reftel). In theory, the Supreme Court
could invalidate any section of the Rules and return the
document to the National Assembly for further revision,
although this is not anticipated. Although the deadline for
a ruling is December 23, the Supreme Court is likely to
validate the Internal Rules and announce its decision as
early as December 21.

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Provincial Assemblies
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5. Special sessions of the newly elected Provincial
Assemblies began meeting on December 18. In all provinces,
the most important initial business is the certification of
elections results for the new provincial deputies,
designation of provisional bureau members, and establishment
of internal rules for each regional assembly. The provincial
assemblies will also elect senators and governors for each
province -- a process scheduled to be finished by January 7,
though some slippage of that date is anticipated.
DOUGHERTY

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