Monday, 10 October 2011

DRC Elections 2011 Watch: Rift widens within opposition: Léon Kengo wa Dondo appoints himself opposition’s common candidate

Angèle Makombo-Eboum
Chair, Ligue des Démocrates Congolais (LIDEC)
Founding member and spokesperson of pro-Kengo platform Forces de l’Opposition Réunies au Congo (FORECO)

Just days after meeting Etienne Tshisekedi in Brussels, Léon Kengo wa Dondo launched Saturday at the Memling Hotel in downtown Kinshasa a new political "platform" tosupport his presidential bid. The new group is called Forces de l’Opposition Réunies au Congo (FORECO) and brings together more than 50 smaller political parties.

Speaking at the event, Kengo said:

“I want to be the man around whom are gathered all the forces of change with a common ideal and program of governance.”

 Kengo appeared to be taking a swipe at Tshisekedi in two passages of his keynote address to the assembled parties' leaders:

1) “At this moment when you endow me with this charge, I issue this call to my colleague presidential candidates: Let’s make a choice of reason and not of passion. The country needs a credible candidate, able not only to achieve victory, but above all to reconstruct the state.” 
 2) “I am not seeking power for power’s sake…”

The second passage directly alludes to the rumor alleging that Tshisekedi had sworn to be president even for one minute before he dies.
     
The speaker who introduced Tshisekedi at the event was Angèle Makombo-Eboum, 56, chair of the Ligue des Démocrates Congolais (LIDEC) and former senior UN official, who, until recently, was planning on running herself for president. Makombo said: “We extend our hand to [the other presidential candidates]. And we say that we absolutely need a common candidate in order to increase our chances of winning in November.”

Thus thickens the electoral plot… 

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