Mbeki tables proposal at ICD

With two days to go before the end of the inter-Congolese dialogue (ICD) on Wednesday, South African President Thabo Mbeki put forward a proposal on transitional arrangements in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to participants in Sun City, South Africa.

Mbeki proposed that the current president, Joseph Kabila, continue to serve as such during the transition period and until national elections are held, and that a Council of State and a Cabinet of National Reconciliation be appended to the presidency as executive authorities.

Members of the Council of State would include the president, the leaders of rebel Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD) and Mouvement pour la liberation du Congo (MLC), and the prime minister, who would be chosen by consensus at the ICD from members of the non-armed opposition.

The Cabinet of National Reconciliation would also be headed by the prime minister, said the proposal document.

"The legislative authority of the DRC shall be vested in a unicameral parliament of up to 500 members... to be selected on an equal basis from the five components of the ICD. The leader of parliament will be selected from among the civil society delegates."

The five components at the ICD are the government, the two rebel movements - RCD and MLC - the unarmed opposition, and civil society.

All disputes related to the transition would be adjudicated by a special court to be appointed by parliament after consultation with the Council of State, the proposal stated. The special court would have structures throughout DRC territory.

Meanwhile, however, the RCD on Tuesday evening reiterated its opposition to leaving Kabila in power. RCD Secretary-General Azarias Ruberwa told AFP: "It is not in the interests of the Congo to leave Kabila in power. He is part of the problem." He added that RCD would not agree to a deal "made in a rush to meet a deadline", AFP reported.

A government representative, Vital Kamerhe, said the RCD was marginalising itself and would "go down like a sinking ship".

The issue of whether Kabila will remain in power has been one of the greatest obstacles to finding a consensus at the ICD. On Tuesday, MLC Secretary-General Oliver Kamitatu broke ranks with the RCD by effectively agreeing that Kabila could stay on as president.