Anti-Kabila protest planned in DRC

Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila (foreground).

Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila (foreground).

Published Feb 15, 2013

Share

Kinshasa - Part of the parliamentary opposition in the Democratic Republic of Congo has announced a march in Kinshasa on Saturday to protest against the rule of President Joseph Kabila, in spite of a ban.

The Forces Acquired for Change (FAC) party, which has eight lawmakers in the 500-seat parliament, wants to hand in a memorandum at the presidential palace, FAC moderator Jean-Pierre Lisanga Bonganga told AFP.

“The country is going very badly. If the president feels he can't lead things well, he has only to resign,” he added.

The memorandum accuses Kabila's regime of “bad governance” of the vast and troubled country since he was re-elected in 2011 in a vote whose outcome was rejected by the main opposition Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) Party.

Kinshasa governor Andre Kimbuta has banned the planned demonstration. “Given (security requirements), I regret to be unable to accept your request,” he wrote to the FAC, recommending that they send “a small delegation of five people” to hand in the memorandum.

Bonganga said the FAC had replied that the governor had broken the law and constitutional rights on public demonstrations and the march would go ahead. - Sapa-AFP

Related Topics: