17 Apr 2007: ISS Today: Congo`s Main Opposition Suspends Role in Parliament

17 April 2007: Congo`s Main Opposition Suspends Role in Parliament
MONUC News

 

Congo`s main opposition party, whose leader left the country this week after fighting in the capital, has suspended participation in the lower house of parliament, citing security concerns.

 

Members of the Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) of defeated presidential candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba have complained of harassment and intimidation by security forces since government troops routed Bemba`s soldiers on March 22-23.

 

Bemba, a former rebel leader, left for medical treatment in Portugal on Wednesday, and the public prosecutor has asked the Senate upper house, of which Bemba is a member, to lift his immunity so he can face prosecution over the violence, in which hundreds of people were killed.

 

"We, the elected representatives of the opposition, consider the current climate of permanent insecurity does not permit us to work in the serenity that the mandate of a member of parliament requires," MLC National Executive Secretary Thomas Luhaka said in a statement seen by Reuters on Saturday.

 

"This is why ... we feel obliged to suspend, effective now and until further notice, our participation in the work of this (National) Assembly, until proper security conditions are established," said the statement, which an MLC spokesman said had been read to a joint session of parliament late on Friday.

 

Commentary

 

The formal political opposition in the Democratic Republic of Congo fears that the government’s recent use of force in Bas Congo and Kinshasa, sends a clear signal that its activities will not be tolerated. Fear is mixed with feelings of anger. But the question remains, if the opposition attempts to play its proper role, how they can do so in an effective and constructive manner?

 

Reactions have been varied, the European Union making the strongest condemnation of the abusive use of force. A rift has now emerged between Kabila and many national and international observers previously well disposed towards his government. In a recent press conference President Kabila attempted to dismiss the political significance of the fighting, claiming it represented only a security issue and the necessary re-establishment of authority. Many national observers as well as foreign governments are clearly measuring the political implications of the use of force to resolve an issue that could have been negotiated.

 

How far the European Union will continue its condemnation and threats of making aid conditional upon the consolidation of democracy is not clear at this point. The European Union seems split between those who feel that a high price is worth paying to save the peace process, and those who are distancing themselves from what is emerging as a less than democratic result of elections. Other major players, such as the United States of America, Southern African Development Community and the African Union, although condemning the violence, have been less vocal than the European Union so far; one must wait to see if their positions evolve.

 

What is at stake here is the risk that Kabila, in a declared bid to assert his authority, slides increasingly towards the authoritarian or autocratic use of power.  Pessimists have claimed that Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a new dictatorship similar to that of Mobutu, but less "enlightened". While this seems extreme at this point, the danger of the regime resorting systematically to force and oppression in dealing with inevitable opposition has become very real. Bemba’s supporters have made allegations in the last few weeks that they have been arrested and harassed. According to MONUC the residences of 27 people, including 19 members of the opposition, as well as eight journalists, were visited by the security forces, and that there was some looting during these operations. MONUC has also put in place a multi-disciplinary investigation team charged with verifying the allegations of human rights violations, summary executions, rape, torture, illegal detention, looting and forced disappearances which were committed by both sides in the recent Kinshasa conflict. The Security Council has appealed to the DRC government to respect the role and rights given to all parties by the constitution, with the aim of guaranteeing their effective participation in national political debate, and to encourage all parties to continue to adhere to the rules of political democracy.

 

From the international community, and particularly the European Union ambassadors` declaration in Kinshasa, the Congolese are receiving a message that democracy will not be sacrificed in the name of authority. The international community has expressed the need for the opposition in Democratic Republic of Congo to play its role, so that beyond the Sun City-initiated recent elections, the country holds firmly to the path towards a democratic system of governance, allowing accountable leadership to emerge in the future.

 

Since Bemba has left the political arena temporarily, can another leader emerge from his party? Or will the opposition be divided, if so along what lines and will they be able to play their role as opposition. In addressing these issues one must highlight again the fragility of political alliances in the young democracy and Congolese politicians demonstrated amazing ability to switch sides overnight. Both within Democratic Republic of Congo and among their international partners, efforts will have to be made to create the conditions favourable to the emergence of responsible leaders among the Congolese political elite. If this do not happen the Democratic Republic of Congo can easily slide back into conflict and chaos.

 

Henri Boshoff, Military Analyst, African Security Analysis Programme, ISS Tshwane (Pretoria)