Over 200 MPS file petition at Constitutional Court in DRC

By

Darell Maurice

More than 200 Congolese MPs earlier this week filed a request at the Constitutional Court for an interpretation of Articles 70, 103 and 105 of the country’s constitution. These items are all linked to the mandates of the president, the deputy and the senator.

For these members, the president as national MP, should remain in office until the installation of their elected replacements as is the case for senators, MPs and provincial governors who were elected at the 2006 legislature and are still in operation.

This interpretation of the constitution is rejected by the opposition who believe that the expiration of the presidential term transition must be in place until the election of a new president.

“As there are people who read the constitution wrongly and that the senior judges of the Constitutional Court are paid to interpret our constitution, we went to the competent institution to our interpreter to inform the Congolese population of the meaning of these articles of the constitution,” said Kokoniangi MP, one of the officials who seized the Constitutional Court.

He said that opposition MPs have also signed the petition to the High Court.

“It’s a very clean approach that should interest everyone. That way we cut short all the noise. And I think it’s legitimate, that’s why we have about fifty members of the opposition who signed this petition,” reported the deputy.

The debate on the end of the mandate of the Head of State has been polarizing the Congolese political class for several months. The second and final term of Joseph Kabila ends in December. The opposition suspect him of wanting to stay in power beyond 2016, following this year’s presidential elections.

Darell Maurice

Darell Maurice is a Journalist based in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital city Kinshasa and works for Canal7kintv. He also blogs here.