DRC ELECTIONS: MLC POST-ELECTION PRIORITIES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001679

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM CG ELECTIONS
SUBJECT: DRC ELECTIONS: MLC POST-ELECTION PRIORITIES

REF: A. KINSHASA 1669


B. KINSHASA 1478

Classified By: PolOff CBrown, reasons 1.4 b/d.


1. (C) Summary: Senior officials of Vice President
Jean-Pierre Bemba's Movement for the Liberation of Congo
(MLC) party said before the October 29 election that a
Bemba-led government would work closely with President
Kabila's PPRD. They say the immediate focus would be on
reform of the security sector and public administration. They
are less clear about what policies the party would champion
if it ends up in opposition. End summary.


2. (C) Two senior advisers to Vice President Jean-Pierre
Bemba told PolCouns and PolOff prior to October 29 elections
(ref A) that a possible Bemba government would include
current supporters of President Joseph Kabila. They also
outlined possible policy priorities of a Bemba presidency and
how the MLC might approach a role in opposition.

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MLC "COALITION" GOVERNMENT
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3. (C) Delly Sesanga, spokesman for Bemba's Movement for the
Liberation of the Congo (MLC),stated that a Bemba government
would be a coalition with the Kabila-affiliated People's
Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD),and would seek
Kabila's advice on governing the country. Sesanga said an MLC
government would select ministers in a non-partisan manner
based on ability, implying that a Kabila government would
not.


4. (C) Thomas Luhaka, MLC Executive Secretary, said that a
Bemba government would govern by consensus. He predicted that
in the event of a Bemba victory, members of Kabila's Alliance
for the Presidential Majority (AMP) in the National Assembly
would move naturally to the MLC side. He said all parties are
in agreement on the basic tasks and objectives of the new
government.

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POLICY PRIORITIES
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5. (C) These conversations made clear that the MLC has not
developed a set of standard talking points about a future
Bemba government. However, Sesanga and Luhaka both singled
out reform of the security services and of public
administration as priorities.


6. (C) Luhaka emphasized that reform of the army (FARDC) and
police (PNC) must be addressed within the first few months of
a Bemba government. He said Bemba would make security sector
reform his first order of business if elected. Sesanga said
the main priority would be accelerating the integration
process for both forces. Sesanga said the most important
elements of the reform would be payment, supply and training
of troops. He stated that a Bemba government would seek
additional financial support from the international community
to accelerate this.


7. (C) Sesanga and Luhaka both noted that an MLC government
would stress reform of public administration. Sesanga also
said a Bemba government would support decentralization by
ensuring that the new provincial governments received the
funds due them under the new constitution. Luhaka stressed
that any new government must increase its receipts in order
to provide public services effectively, and stated that
regardless of the MLC's status and who wins the presidency,
the new government must adhere to principles of good
governance. He emphasized reform of DRC parastatal
corporations. He also suggested the importance of symbolic
gestures by the new government, and proposed an initiative
for rehabilitating many of its buildings as an
easily-accomplished step in that direction.

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MLC IN OPPOSITION
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8. (C) Neither Sesanga nor Luhaka was able effectively to
articulate issues their party would champion if Kabila wins
the presidency and his supporters control the National
Assembly. Sesanga said he believed Kabila's AMP would attempt
to block any opposition proposals in the National Assembly.

KINSHASA 00001679 002 OF 002


Luhaka said AMP leaders running the Assembly's provisional
bureau have successfully excluded the MLC and other rivals
from leadership roles in setting the new parliament's
internal procedures. Luhaka predicted that such tactics would
ultimately backfire, and provide the MLC and its Union for
the Nation (UN) coalition the opportunity to advance their
own agenda, even in opposition.

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COMMENT
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9. (C) Comment: Claims that a Bemba government would work in
coalition with the PPRD are consistent with a statement made
by Bemba himself to the Ambassador (ref B). However, it does
not appear that he and his inner circle have focused much of
their energies to date on post-election policy questions. It
is doubtful that their PPRD counterparts have either. End
comment.
MEECE