By RFIPalled on 23-07-2019Modified on 23-07-2019 at 03:52

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the two heavyweights of the former presidential majority have applied to become Senate presidents. Adored by the outgoing Joseph Kabila, the former Minister of Justice and rebel leader Alexis Thambwe Mwamba is a favorite. His challenger and former ally, former Minister of the Economy, Modeste Bahati Lukwebo, has also gone all the way, despite his exclusion from the FCC and similar threats to his senators.

Modest Bahati Lukwebo arrived at the People's Palace shortly before noon on Monday. In addition to the members of his campaign team, the AFDC and Allied moral authority, who was excluded from the FCC, was accompanied by the other candidates for the various positions in the final Senate office.

He said all his confidence about the successful outcome of the vote next Saturday: " The act we just asked in our candidacy confirms that we want to go to the end, and until victory, " he said. he declared.

Alexis Thambwe Mwamba, the FCC nominee appointed by Joseph Kabila, arrived about two and a half hours later in the middle of an impressive procession of vehicles. He, too, had in his group a number of senators, including contenders for the other posts in the final office of the Upper House of Parliament.

For the former Minister of Justice, his political family is a majority in the Senate, the victory is certain: " We have not put any posters because we are not nervous, we are sure that our senators will follow us, has he explained. We have an absolute majority in the Senate, as we have today in the National Assembly. "

The People's Palace, seat of the Parliament, was squared off by the police, the access filtered. Political demonstrations are banned throughout the city until the end of the week. Candidates will have two days, Wednesday and Thursday, to campaign before the verdict on Saturday.

A strategic position

Why so much tension around this post? In the event of a vacancy due to the death of the President, resignation or any other cause of permanent impediment, under the Congolese Constitution, it is the President of the Senate to act as interim and to organize the new election. presidential. Joseph Kabila has long been suspected of wanting to run for the post, just to be able to replace his successor Félix Tshisekedi at any time.

In his entourage, it is said that the former head of state wants to place his closest, as Alexis Thambwe Mwamba to the presidency and Evariste Boshab to the first vice-presidency. To lock the Senate office, as well as the National Assembly, is also to be sure of being able to convene the Congress. The lower and upper chambers combined have the power to refer the President of the Republic to the Constitutional Court, particularly for high treason and insider trading or even to vote for a reform of the Constitution.

For a Congolese political scientist, no doubt, if the negotiations to form the first government of Felix Tshisekedi did not succeed, it is because Joseph Kabila wanted first to control all these levers and can at any time increase the your vis-à-vis his partner and successor at the head of the state. Reason why the candidacy of Modeste Bahati Lukwebo would be so badly perceived, him who the day after the proclamation of the results of the presidential had made a visit of courtesy to the new head of the State.

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