Kabila calls for national debate

DRC President Laurent-Desire Kabila has proposed a national debate with all political parties, including his rebel rivals. Kabila said in a press conference broadcast live yesterday (Tuesday) that the debate would cover three themes: The legitimacy of power, constitutional proposals and the liberalisation of political parties. He suggested the meeting could take place in Italy, mediated by the Sant’Egidio Roman Catholic community. The Sant’Egidio mediated the 1992 Mozambique peace agreement. There has as yet been no comment from DRC’s main rebel group, the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD). A regional analyst told IRIN today (Wednesday) that the ball was now in their court. “It’s a big development,” he said. “It’s very tricky for the rebels. There is no pretext for them to say we have to continue the war if Kabila is serious.” The analyst added that Kabila could succeed in taking advantage of disunity within rebel ranks.

Meanwhile, Kabila told state TV yesterday that he expected his new foreign minister, Yerodia Abdoulaye Ndombasi, to expose the “hypocrisy” of western policy towards DRC. Kabila said western governments made aid to Kinshasa conditional on democracy, but did not hold neighbouring countries to the same standards, Reuters reported.