PAYNE CODEL VISITS KEY LEADERS IN DRC

UNCLAS KINSHASA 001266 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL OREP KPKO CG SUBJECT: PAYNE CODEL VISITS KEY LEADERS IN DRC REF: A. KINSHASA 1265 ¶B. KINSHASA 1251 ¶C. KINSHASA 1255 ¶D. KINSHASA 1256 ¶1. Summary: Congressman Donald Payne visited the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on August 2 through August 5. In addition to calling on President Kabila at his residence and Vice Presidents Azarias Ruberwa and Jean-Pierre Bemba and other key senior government leaders, Rep. Payne met with elections personnel and other Congolese and international officials. End summary. ¶2. Rep. Payne took the opportunity to call on key Congolese political leaders, and met with Vice President Ruberwa on August 2, with Vice President Bemba on August 3, and with President Kabila on August 5 (reftels). At the legislative level, Rep. Payne met with Monsignor Pierre Marini, the current President of the Senate, and Thomas Luhaka, the current President of the National Assembly, in their offices at the Palais du Peuple on August 3. He called on Foreign Minister Ramazani at his office on August 3, and he met with presidential candidate Oscar Kashala on August 4. ¶3. Arriving in the DRC in the week following July 30's historic elections, Rep. Payne met with election observers and organizers. Rep. Payne met with observer missions such as the Carter Center and SADC-PF (Parliamentary Forum) at a roundtable discussion at USAID on August 3. He received a briefing from Abbe Apollinaire Malu Malu, the president of the Independent Electoral Commission, at the organization's headquarters on August 4, after which he visited one of Kinshasa's four vote compilation centers later that afternoon. ¶4. Payne also had the opportunity to meet with Congolese officials and international representatives throughout his visit. He joined Ambassador Andre Kapanga, Ambassador Antoine Ghonda, Kikaya Bin Karubi, and Olivier Kamitatu at a dinner at the Ambassador's residence on August 2. The Special Representative of the Secretary General of the UN Mission to the Congo (SRSG of MONUC) met with and briefed the codel at the Ambassador's residence on August 3, and Deputy SRSG Haile Menkarios chaired a separate briefing at MONUC headquarters on August 4. Rep. Payne later met with Xavier Maret of the International Monetary Fund, Colin Stewart of the Carter Center, Father Michael Perry of Franciscans International, Michael Kassa of the Woodrow Wilson Center, and Herbert Brown of the National Democratic Institute at a dinner on August 4. MEECE