KABILA ANNOUNCES NEW POLITICAL ALLIANCE

UNCLAS KINSHASA 001036 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM CG ELECTIONS SUBJECT: KABILA ANNOUNCES NEW POLITICAL ALLIANCE REF: A. KINSHASA 969 ¶B. KINSHASA 504 ¶1. The recent spate of political alliances, including presidential candidate (and Mobutu-era Central Bank Governor) Pierre Pay Pay's CODECO and Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba's RENACO (ref A) continued with the June 24 announcement of the Alliance for the Presidential Majority (AMP). President Kabila may have the incumbent's advantage in the upcoming presidential elections, but his inner circle is crafting alliances which demonstrate that they are taking nothing for granted. ¶2. On June 24, Kabila presided at the inauguration of the platform of the AMP. Although the new grouping does not include any other presidential candidates, the AMP lists as supporters several minor political parties, several candidates for the National Assembly, and a handful of politically significant personalities, including: Rose Kasavubu, sister of presidential candidate Justine Kasavubu (and daughter of former president Joseph Kasavubu); Christophe Lutundula, a former magistrate and respected intellectual most recently aligned with Pierre Pay Pay; and Lambert Mende, current "rapporteur" of the Senate, another respected intellectual and Mobutu-era vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, and one of the early founders of RCD-G. ¶3. Most interesting in this new alliance is the presence of new AMP spokesman Olivier Kamitatu, erstwhile president of the National Assembly until his defection from Bemba's MLC party resulted in Kamitatu's resignation (ref B). Kamitatu had been allied with Mbusa Nyamwisi until this most recent alliance with Kabila. ¶4. Comment. The significance of this alliance is that several defectors from both the RCD and the MLC now have publicly re-aligned themselves with Kabila's candidacy, which has been unquestionably strengthened by the support. Conversely, none of Kabila's PPRD supporters have defected to other candidates. Kabila's new alliance continues the expected trend of alignment and re-alignment as the most savvy Congolese political players attempt to position themselves behind the strongest presidential candidates. End comment. MEECE