Of the many brickbats justifiably being hurled at the Congo’s new President Felix Tshisekdi, daddy’s boy is not one of them.

Nepotism could easily spring to mind as the reason why the son of the veteran opposition figure finally gets the job his father managed to secure.

This would be simplistic and frankly wrong.

Etienne Tshisekedi, who founded the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) and opposed presidents Mobutu Sese Seko, Laurent Kabila and Joseph Kabila , made no bones about  what he saw as his son’s inexperience and inadequacies. He frequently said he was not about to hand his offspring  a free ticket to his life’s work.

It was only after Etienne’s death in 2017 that Belgian- educated Felix was able to rise through the ranks to take the leadership of the UDPS.

Felix is adamant that he will emulate his late  father who he refers to as his master.

Family members say the son has none of the stubbornness and pride that hampered his father but enabled him to persevere through internal exile and imprisonment.

Felix is diplomatic, conciliatory and ready to listen to a variety of viewpoints.

This should stand him in good stead running the Central African giant rich in minerals including the coltan that keeps our smart phones and other electronic devices working.

For if there is anything that that abounds in this fecund country capable of feeding the entire continent, it is the variety of viewpoints.

His father’s misgivings about his inexperience notwithstanding, Felix has shown an adeptness in deal making that would the envy of his counterpart in the White House.

He quickly broke free of an opposition election pact when it became clear that he could do more beneficial business with the incumbent President Joseph Kabila who was about it stand down after 18 years in power but made no secret of  medium-term plans to get back at the helm in 2023.

The deal they stitched up will give Tshisekedi the presidency but he will be hamstrung by not controlling the legislature still firmly in the hands of the Kabila coalition with 337 of the 500 seats.

Indeed, Tshisikedi’s coalition has only 46 MPs. The second most powerful party in the legislature – with 102 seats – is the coalition of Martin Fayulu who’s claim to have won the Presidential election is backed by the Catholic Church, the European Union, France and Belgium.

So Tshisekedi will have his work cut out delivering on his campaign promises to restore the rule of law, eradicate the “gangrene” of corruption and bring prosperity to the country reduced to poverty by decades of Mobutu Sese Seko’s kleptocracy, Laurent Kabila’s venality and his son’s corruption.

Nevertheless those countries and organizations that have put on record their serious doubts about the vote count recorded by the national electoral commission have now taken a pragmatic view.

They accept the sovereign decision of the Congolese administration and constitutional court, which upheld the election result, and are hoping Tshisekedi can do what he has promised.

The denouement is far from perfect. But which African solutions are? 

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In South Africa government’s  has expressed concern over the situation in the DRC following protests that resulted in several arrests in Pretoria.

Opposition leader Etienne Tshisikedi called for peaceful demonstrations after President Joseph Kabila  refused to step down when his two term constitutional limit expired yesterday.

Police and soldiers fired live ammunition in Kinshasa, as opposition activists burned tyres, threw stones and attacked an office of the ruling party.

Violence was also reported in the southern city of Lubumbashi, where at least two deaths were reported: one protestor and a policeman who was lynched by an angry crowd.

Human Rights Watch says four people died in protests in the eastern city of Goma.

The post Protestors die in DRC after President Joseph Kabila’s mandate expires appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Opposition party chief Etienne Tshisekedi warns President Joseph Kabila to call an election 90 days before his constitutional  mandate expires on 19 December.

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Joseph Kabila has been the president since his father was assassinated in 2001.

Critics accuse him of trying to cling to power beyond the legal two-term limit by delaying elections, which are due on 27 November.

Protesters turned out in blue, red and yellow – the colours of the DRC’s flag – and displayed slogans which said: “No to a third term.”

They also rejected the president’s calls for a national political dialogue.

The DRC has yet to experience its first peaceful transition of power.

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