KINSHASA'S PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY DEFEATS

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000637 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM CG SUBJECT: KINSHASA'S PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY DEFEATS NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION AGAINST GOVERNOR ¶1. (U) Summary: Kinshasa's opposition-dominated provincial assembly on June 6 defeated a motion of no-confidence brought against the AMP governor, and subsequently adopted the governor's proposed program of government. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Kinshasa's provincial assembly on June 6 defeated a no-confidence motion brought on May 30 by MLC-aligned deputies against Andre Kimbuta, the AMP governor. The motion, which some MLC leaders characterized as a response to Kimbuta's heavy-handed style, would have required the governor to resign had it passed. At the same session, the assembly adapted Kimbuta's program of government for Kinshasa, with an unrealistic $1.5 billion proposed budget. (Note: The entire proposed national budget is $2.1 billion. End note.) ¶3. (U) The assembly first attempted to bring the no-confidence motion to a vote June 4 but failed to convene the required quorum -- two-thirds of the members, or 32 of the 48 total deputies. On June 6, with only 27 deputies in attendance, the assembly again considered the motion since a provision in the assembly's internal rules permitted the assembly to conduct the vote with a simple majority. Of those present, 25 voted to reject the motion, and two abstained. Almost all of the MLC and UpN-aligned deputies boycotted the June 6 proceedings. ¶4. (U) At least one press report on June 4 claimed that two MLC deputies had been "sequestered" to prevent them from voting in favor of the no-confidence motion. Rumors of political pressure, arrest threats, and payoffs to MLC deputies to secure their absence circulated before the June 6 vote. Neither provincial assembly officers nor MONUC officials investigating the story could confirm that any such arrests or detentions had occurred. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: By boycotting the session, the MLC deputies not only lost the motion and failed to unseat the governor, they also acquiesced to the passage of Kimbuta's program. Media commentary decrying the uselessness of "the politics of the empty chair" indicate that some citizens are becoming impatient with the opposition's tendency to boycott rather than engage in constructive political dialogue. End comment. MEECE