More than half of DR Congo cabinet seats reserved for Kabila bloc - UN radio
Wednesday May 29 2019
Congo's former president Joseph Kabila (left) drapes newly inaugurated President Felix on January 24, 2019 with the presidential scarf as he is officially handed over the instruments of power at the Presidency in Kinshasa. PHOTO | TONY KARUMBA | AFP
Parties allied to DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and his predecessor Joseph Kabila have finalised agreement on the composition of a new cabinet, UN radio OKAPI reports.
Kabila’s party, the Common Front for the Congo (FCC) will have 60 per cent of the positions while Tshisekedi's CACH coalition will take 20 per cent.
The deal was agreed in secret discussions in Kisantu, a town 100km southwest of the capital Kinshasa.
The cabinet will be composed of 39 full ministers and about 12 assistant ministers, OKAPI reported citing sources from both sides.
Mr Kabila will name 5 candidates directly to the cabinet, the same number as President Tshisekedi.
In the final cabinet, President Tshisekedi will have only 30 per cent, as the rest will be will be allied to Kabila.
Four months after his inauguration, President Tshisekedi is yet to have a cabinet.
Last week, he named veteran technocrat and a Kabila ally Prof Sylvestre Ilunkamba Ilunga as the prime minister raising doubts among the opposition.
Observers say Tshisekedi cannot govern without the dictates of Mr Kabila given that FCC has 337 MPs out of the total 500, 23 of 24 provincial governors and 91 of 100 senators.