Why should we review the Constitution?
I’m not talking about “revising”. I’m talking about ”changing” the current Constitution!
Because this constitution does not correspond to our culture, our beliefs and our good manners.
This constitution was written by foreigners…
Gallaghers … abroad wrote this constitution. By endorsing it, we violated the will left by Patrice Lumumba, which is that “the history of the Congo will be written in the Congo by the Congolese”.
Do you want to be more clear?
Let me explain. The exercise of sovereignty is not an act of property. When you sign a rental contract, you exercise sovereignty over the rental home. The owner can no longer access it without your permission. At the end of the contract, this sovereignty ends. Was it so difficult to take the initial formula according to which “the soil and the subsoil belong to the Congolese State”? I’m pretty sure this modification was done on purpose.
We cannot create decentralized entities without consulting the country, that is to say the population.
Absolutely!
I suggest you read my doctoral thesis where I copied the document I found at the Tervuren Museum. This document lists all the tribes that existed. I cannot be xenophobic. I believe that anyone who wants to become a Congolese can do so by submitting an individual application. I have a friend of Lebanese origin. He acquired Congolese nationality. The friend in question is even a representative in Lubumbashi. Those who begin to falsify History are showing bad faith. It is dangerous for future generations.
What do you call the “Banyamulenge”?
It is a fictional ethnicity that never existed. It is an invention that fails to break through. Local populations [Bembe, Fuliiro] don’t let yourself be intimidated. This is proof that we have no problems with the Rwandan people. If a Rwandan wants to obtain Congolese nationality, he must complete the same process as a Congolese does to become a Belgian or French.
There are no minorities in the DRC?
No way! There are 450 tribes and 250 ethnic groups in our country. Everyone is a minority from each other. Even the Mongos who are in almost all the provinces of the country are not immune.
What other provisions need to be changed?
We must review the prerogatives of the ”President of the Republic” institution. In the current Constitution, the President has been stripped of his powers in favor of the Prime Minister. And yet, whenever the country has a problem, all eyes are on the country’s chief magistrate. We never hear people saying: “Mama Prime Minister talela biso likambo oyo”. It is always the head of state who is brought to the rescue.
Are you advocating a presidential system?
Absolutely! Clear presidential system. A President who appoints provincial governors and assigns them to Regions other than the Regions they came from. They appoint ambassadors as they do today. I am against this whole political party quota thing. For the President of the Republic, it is a matter of appointing competent people, who will be chosen intutu personae to administer the country.
Do you mean that the DRC is bending under the weight of some kind of “partnership”?
That’s it! A group of people took over state structures. Yesterday, they managed the country with Joseph Kabila. Today, they are with Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo.
What would you say to the fierce opponents of any change to the Constitution who suspect that President Félix Tshisekedi wants to “stay in power forever”?
“Felix” is wrong. He should not have announced that he wished to change the constitution. He had to leave this task to intellectuals and researchers. Our association appealed to the President of the Constitutional Court.
According to you, the Head of State was not advised to launch this debate…
Effectively! The debate is now left on the scientific field which descended into the political field.
Manifest threats arise here and there if the change to the Basic Charter comes into force…
We were welcomed by the same people who are very happy with our project.
Under “Joseph Kabila”, Théodore Mugalu, who was the leader of the Civil House of the Head of State at the time, was he not campaigning to change the constitution? According to him, “God was not mentioned enough”…
I remember it. I want to tell you that any proposal coming from politicians will suffer the same fate as under the old regime. I am speaking to you, I will be against any initiative to change the constitution from the political world. I will be against it because our proposal is “impersonal”. Neutral.
You say “we”. Who is “we”?
This is the “Cooperative for Peace
What can be done to build consensus around the very idea of changing the constitution?
We must make our society responsible. And consider our text as a martyr text. The Bible is not our recommendation. It can be improved. We wrote in black and white that our initiative has no retroactive effect. We plead for a unitary state. We are condemned to live for a long time in a unitary state.
Why?
You know as well as I do the number of years it took Belgium before it became a federal state. What do we see at home? In one week, we went from 11 to 26 provinces at a time when integration is still fragile.
The option of 26 provinces was exercised during the inter-Congolese dialogue work in Sun City…
Effectively! Our association now wants to meet the President of the Republic.
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How could proposed constitutional changes impact the political landscape in the DRC?
The text discusses the need for a review of the political structure and constitutional framework of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The speaker argues that the current power dynamics, where the President’s authority has been diluted in favor of the Prime Minister, should be re-evaluated. They advocate for a clear presidential system where the President has significant powers, including appointing provincial governors and ambassadors without being bound by political party affiliations.
The speaker criticizes the establishment of a political system that allows a select group of individuals to control state structures, indicating that this trend has persisted through different administrations, from Joseph Kabila to Félix Tshisekedi.
Concerns are raised regarding the implications of any proposed constitutional changes, particularly regarding public perception that President Tshisekedi might desire to extend his tenure indefinitely. The speaker emphasizes the need for the debate around constitutional reform to be driven by scholars and intellectuals rather than politicians, in order to maintain neutrality and avoid self-serving proposals.
They also advocate for a unitary state as opposed to a federal one, citing historical context regarding the evolution of federalism in other countries. The speaker insists that their proposals for constitutional change are objective and intended to promote peace and stability in the DRC.
the text reflects a complex interplay of political advocacy, concerns about leadership, and the quest for a stable and effective governance structure in the DRC.
