VETERAN POLITICAL OPERATIVE TAKES CHARGE OF DRC

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000060

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM CG
SUBJECT: VETERAN POLITICAL OPERATIVE TAKES CHARGE OF DRC
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

REF: 06 KINSHASA 1939


1. (SBU) Summary. New DRC National Assembly President Vital
Kamerhe made a public call for good governance on assuming
office January 8 in a ceremony with the six other members of
the Assembly's executive committee. He promised to hold
members of the new government and Assembly alike to high
standards and would use constitutional powers to sanction
them if necessary. All of the Assembly's executive
officials are drawn from the majority AMP coalition. End
summary.


2. (U) DRC National Assembly President Vital Kamerhe
officially took office together with the six other members of
the Assembly's executive committee in a ceremony January 8 at
Kinshasa's Palais du Peuple. President Kabila, who had been
scheduled to attend, was an unexplained last-minute no-show.
The session was attended by members of the Assembly and
dignitaries including the Ambassador and other members of the
diplomatic corps, and featured remarks by Kamerhe and
Congo-Brazzaville National Assembly President Jean-Pierre
Thyster Tchikaya.


3. (U) Kamerhe, a veteran political operative who heads
Kabila's PPRD party, received a boisterous welcome from
supporters in the gallery. He devoted a good deal of his
detailed speech to call for a change in governance practices
of the past. He promised to fight corruption, impunity and
other "anti-values," and emphasized that the Assembly would
not hesitate to use its constitutional powers to sanction
members of the government or of the Assembly itself.


4. (SBU) Kamerhe appealed for an end to insecurity in his
native eastern DRC and reestablishment of the authority of
the Congolese state throughout the country. He stressed that
the new government and Assembly must work to fight poverty.
He promised to work toward establishing a permanent home for
the parliament including offices, staff and equipment for
members.


5. (SBU) The ceremony had been postponed several days,
reportedly to accommodate Kabila's schedule, and a chair set
aside for him was not removed until the eleventh hour. A
Kabila adviser told us Kabila had been advised by his lawyers
not to attend on grounds of separation of powers.


6. (SBU) The executive committee taking office with Kamerhe
was drawn exclusively from the AMP electoral coalition
(reftel). No single party received more than one position.
All officers were elected in first-round voting except the
chief administrative and financial officer ("Questeur"),
whose election was marked by the surprise withdrawal of
second-placed Vicky Katumwa. Kinshasa Deputy Wivine Moleka
(PPRD) said January 10 that she had arrived for the December
29 second-round balloting prepared to vote for Katumwa, but
was told that she had withdrawn in favor of first-placed and
eventual winner Modeste Bahati.


7. (SBU) The full slate of National Assembly officers:

President: Vital Kamerhe, PPRD (South Kivu)
First vice president: Christophe Lutundula Apala pen'Apala,
MSR (Eastern Kasai)
Second vice president: Marc Mvwama Anedu, PALU (Bandundu)
Rapporteur (spokesman): Gregoire Katende wa Ndaya Muledi, FR
(Eastern Kasai)
Assistant rapporteur: Egide Michel Ngokoso Apa, UDEMO
(Kinshasa)
Questeur (administrative and financial officer): Modeste
Bahati Lukwebo, Independent (South Kivu)
Assistant questeur: Brigitte Kalaba Sankwe, CODECO (Katanga)


8. (SBU) Comment. The DRC has no tradition of an
independent legislature. Whether a partisan Kabila loyalist
like Kamerhe is the leader who can steer it to a forceful
independence remains to be seen. End comment.
MEECE