NORTH KIVU SELECTS FOUR SENATORS

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000078 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM CG ELECTIONS SUBJECT: NORTH KIVU SELECTS FOUR SENATORS REF: KINSHASA 66 ¶1. (U) North Kivu's Provincial Assembly elected four national Senators from the province on January 19. Although no Tutsis hold seats in the North Kivu assembly, ethnic Tutsi Edouard Mwangachuchu led the North Kivu Senate candidates with 13 votes. The most prominent new North Kivu Senator is Venant Tshipasa, the current Lands Minister and a member of unsuccessful presidential candidate Pierre Pay Pay's party, DCF-COFEDEC. A member of the dominant Nande ethnic group from the northern half of the province, Tshipasa and ethnic Nande Martin Balikwisha of Forces du Renouveau each earned eight votes. Ernest Hamuli, an ethnic Hunde with the PPRD, received six votes. Although President Kabila's AMP coalition controls 25 of 42 North Kivu assembly seats, it was able to elect only two of its candidates (Balikwisha and Hamuli). ¶2. (U) Prominent unsuccessful candidates who held positions in the Transition included Minister for Women and Family Faida Mwangilwa (RCD),Tutsi Senators Apolinaire Kalera (RCD) and Cyprien Rwakabuba Shinga (FNDC),Hutu MP Oswald Ndeshyo (RDC),and ex-minister and former SONAS Director General Christophe Kasereka Kasai (Independent). ¶3. (SBU) Although MONUC observers reported a peaceful and well-organized vote, one anonymous complaint has been filed with the CEI against the North Kivu provincial elections. The complainant alleged that outgoing Governor Eugene Seruflui manipulated the elections to assist "known pillagers of natural resources." ¶4. (U) Biographical information: Edouard Mwangachuchu Hizi (Independent) Mwangachuchu, 53, is the owner of a major coltan trading and exporting business, MHI. A former cattle rancher, he was assaulted and had his herds slaughtered during anti-Tutsi violence in 1995. He and his family were granted political asylum in the United States in 1996. Born September 30, 1953. Venant Tshipasa Vangi Sivavi (DCF-COFEDEC) Tshipasa, 52, from Beni, was Lands Minister in the SIPDIS Transitional Government, in a ministry assigned to the political opposition. Prior to that, he served as deputy minister without portfolio and was a member of the Transitional Parliament. Tshipasa was also a signatory to the Sun City Accords. He is the current DCF-COFEDEC President. Born August 23, 1954. Martin Balikwisha Nyonyo (Forces du Renouveau) Balikwisha, 57, is the administrative director of SNEL, the state electric company. Prior to that, he was an engineer and director at GECAMINES, the state mining company, for almost 30 years. He was born September 10, 1949. Ernest Hamuli Kitsa (PPRD) Hamuli, 52, from Masisi, was a member of the Transitional Parliament. He taught for several year at a technical high school in Kinshasa. Born December 30, 1954. MEECE