Katumbi Warns DR Congo Is On The Brink Of Turmoil; Mourns Veteran Opposition Leader
Opposition leader Moise Katumbi has issued a fresh warning saying the Democratic Republic of Congo is on the brink of civil strife if President Joseph Kabila fails to respect an agreement to hold free and fair elections later this year.
Katumbi issued a statement following the death of opposition leader President Etienne Tshisekedi whose death he describes as devastating to finding a peaceful and lasting solution to DR Congo woes.
“There is growing concern in the Democratic Republic of Congo that the New Year’s Eve agreement to among the political parties to hold free, fair, and transparent democratic elections – as required by the Constitution – is on very shaky ground.
“The prospects for the agreement were already shaky. Last week, Catholic bishops warned that the accord risks collapsing unless the concerned parties show “commitment to reach compromises,” Katumbi says.
Under the deal, political parties were supposed to nominate a prime minister to head a transitional government that would organize elections before the end of the year.
But after more than a month since the accord was signed, the government and opposition are yet to agree on either the appointment of a prime minister or a timetable for elections.
The opposition has nominated Mr. Tshisekedi’s son, Felix Tshisekedi, for prime minister, but Mr. Kabila’s government insists that five names should be put forward to allow the president to choose one.
BELOW IS KATUMBI’S AND MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCES TO TSHISEKEDI’S FAMILY
Brussels, 1 February 2017
We have just lost one of the most important figures of our country’s History. A deep feeling of sadness fills the heart of all Congolese. Personally, I lost a model in the fight for Democracy and the Rule of Law. Together with my fellow countrymen, I would like to express my sincere condolences to President Tshisekedi’s family, and pray that his soul may rest in peace.
Father of the Congolese Democracy, President Tshisekedi devoted his life to working peacefully towards the establishment of Democracy and the Rule of Law in the DR Congo. Until his last breath, the “Sphinx of Limete” fought against the dictatorship that plagues our country, he fought for the first democratic change in 2016, and he stood up against the wrongdoings of which our compatriots are victims. He gave his life for the greater good, and he will never be thanked enough for that.
Our country is a great Nation that deserves great men such as President Tshisekedi. We have the important duty to honor his memory, and to continue in his footsteps, without bending, in order to ensure the triumph of Peace and Democracy in our country.
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