Ruling virtual country by press conferences

Etienne Tshisekedi thinks he's found a way of ruling his virtual country. By press conferences held at his Limete residence, around which the police has set up an equally virtual embattlement to keep the self-proclaimed prez in and his supporters out.

This was the stunt Tshisekedi pulled this past Friday evening when he convened a press conference--poorly attended for obvious reasons: the police tear-gassed those (journos and fans alike) who attempted to attend the event. The stunt was undoubtedly justified by the mounting pressure from die-hard UDPS members who in recent days have been accusing Tshisekedi of conniving with the regime by keeping mum for too long.

In the event, the press conference developed along three major axes:

1) Tshikedeki wants his supporters to march him to and occupy the "Palais de la Nation," the presidential office. A farce of the Occupy Wall Street movement... Tshisekedi knows he needs what he calls the "force publique" or the state means of violence monopolized by the security sector (army and police) in order to rule or to take his virtual gamesmanship into the realm of reality. (A very unfortunate and strange choice of words, for the Belgian colonial army in the Congo was called the "Fotce Publique.")

Though he acknowledged that the allegiance of the "force publique" was still elusive, Tshisekedi went on to say that the police and the army have already recognized him as the one the "people" has chosen to carry out the "change" the nation desperately needs. A circular reasoning that had many people shaking their heads over the man's insanity. The talk of Tshisekedi's win has all but died in the streets of Kinshasa as it has slowly dawned in people's minds that such a win is simply a "sociological and statistical impossibility," in the words of one pro-Kabila paper.

2) Tshisekedi announced he'll form a government within 7 days. Asked how he'd form a government when the results of the legislative electiion have still to be proclaimed and without a clear view of the new majority in the National Assembly, Tshisekedi then said that:

3) He has just voided the legislative election (a move that would certainly set him at odds with the oncoming freshmen MPs of his own party who'd be jettisoning their $7,000 monthly salary). And never mind this cancellation of legislative election: new legislative elections are due to be held soon. In the meantime, Tshisekedi added, he'd be ruling the country by presidential decrees. This proves the point of those for whom Tshisekedi is a closeted dictator. I'd agree instead with the conventional wisdom, unfolding these days in the streets of the Congolese capital, that Tshisekedi has lost his marbles!