VZCZCXRO4269
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0975/01 3110602
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 060602Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8734
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SADC COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000975 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM CG
SUBJECT:    NATIONAL ASSEMBLY APPROVES MUZITO GOVERNMENT 
 
REF:        KINSHASA 933 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  The National Assembly approved the government of 
Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito on November 2.  The government easily 
obtained the necessary absolute majority vote following intense 
debate during an emergency plenary session of parliament.  Muzito 
stressed reinforcing state authority, the implementation of 
development priorities, and the improvement of living standards in 
his presentation to the Assembly.  Opposition deputies criticized 
the lack of details in the plan and the rushed nature of the 
confirmation proceedings.  Major changes in the Muzito government 
include the creation of three Deputy Prime Minister posts to 
coordinate the government's security and development priorities; the 
creation of new ministerial posts for decentralization and human 
rights, and new ministers at Defense, Interior, and Foreign Affairs. 
 The economic team remains largely unchanged.  Muzito will face 
early challenges in managing the crises in the east and the 2009 
budgetary process.  End summary. 
 
Priorities:  Security, Development, Social Services 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶2.  (U) The National Assembly, meeting in an emergency session early 
in the morning of November 2, approved the government of Prime 
Minister-designate Adolphe Muzito (reftel).  Deputies approved the 
new government, the third government since the 2006 elections, by a 
vote of 294 to 67, with seven abstentions.  The vote punctuated a 
marathon debate of eleven hours following the presentation to the 
Assembly the previous day of Muzito's official program. 
 
¶3.  (U) Appearing before the Assembly October 31, Muzito presented 
the new government's agenda for resolving the short term security 
and humanitarian crisis in the east and the long term growth and 
development challenges facing the DRC.  He outlined the new 
government's three primary themes:  re-establishment of state 
authority to promote peace and national unity; implementation of the 
five development priorities ("cinq chantiers" in French); and 
improvement of living standards through the provision of basic 
social services.  Muzito said the government would achieve the three 
priorities through a comprehensive strategy of good governance. 
 
¶4.  (U) Opposition deputies criticized the debate on procedural 
grounds, notably the examination, discussion, and approval of the 
government program in a compressed time schedule.  The opposition 
also criticized the lack of clear signals and specific details, seen 
by some as a clear break with the outgoing Gizenga government. 
 
Three New Deputy Prime Ministers 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Muzito's government reflects important structural and 
personnel changes in the defense, security, governance and 
development sectors, while ministers in the principal economic and 
fiscal dossiers remained mostly unchanged.  The broadest structural 
change is the creation of three new Deputy Prime Minister posts: 
Basic Social Needs (Francois Mobutu Nzanga); Reconstruction (Emile 
Bongeli); and Defense and Security (Mutombo Bakafwa Nsenda). 
Leading coalition partner PPRD ("Parti du peuple pour la 
reconstruction et la democratie" in French) Secretary General 
Evariste Boshab told Poloffs October 28 that the creation of the new 
positions would allow the Deputy Prime Ministers to focus on overall 
coordination within their respective portfolios.  In a surprising 
move, the portfolio for decentralization, one of the most 
contentious and long-awaited Constitutional changes, was removed 
from the Ministry of Interior and placed in its own ministry. 
Additionally, a new ministerial position was created for human 
rights. 
 
Defense, Interior Ministers Sacked; Econ Team Stays 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶6.  (U) Key personnel changes include the sacking of Chikez Diemu 
and Denis Kalume at the Ministries of Defense and Interior, replaced 
by Charles Mwando Nsimba and Celestin Mbuyu Kabangu, respectively. 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is under new leadership as well, 
that of Alexis Thambwe Mwamba.  The retention of the Ministers of 
Finance (Athanase Matenda), Economy (Andre Futa), Plan (Olivier 
Kamitatu), and State-Owned Enterprises (Jeanine Mabunda) will keep 
intact the GDRC teams that have interacted with donors since the 
November 2007 cabinet reshuffle.  The mining review process will 
likely continue under the extended mandate of Minister of Mines 
Martin Kabwelulu.  The new Human Rights Ministry is headed by Upio 
Kakura, a former National Assembly Deputy and President of the 
Parliamentary Network for Human Rights (Note:  Kakura endorsed the 
parliamentary bill to establish the High Council of Magistrates, a 
controversial piece of legislation essential to the creation of an 
independent judiciary.  The legislation was supported through 
USAID's justice programs.  End note.). 
 
KINSHASA 00000975  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Regional Representation is a Factor 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The nomination of Katangans and Kabila allies to control 
the Ministries of Defense, Interior, Mines, and Foreign Affairs 
reinforces the importance of regional origin and loyalty as a 
critical factor in selecting ministerial candidates.  Both Mwando 
Nsimba and Kabangu are from Katanga, as is Kabila.  (Note:  Mwando 
Nsimba, former President of the Transitional Assembly's Political, 
Administrative and Judicial Commission, was a respected and close 
former USAID partner.)  It also worth pointing out, however that 
Defense Minister Chikez, although from Katanga, was not retained, 
undoubtedly because his performance as defense minister was in part 
responsible for the collapse of the nation's armed forces.  New 
foreign minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba is from Maniema province 
(Note: Kabila's mother and mother-in-law are from Maniema.  End 
note).  North Kivu sources were surprised by the large 
representation of eastern Congolese in the Cabinet, including the 
nomination of Safi Adiki as Rural Development Minister.  Adiki is a 
representative of the ethnic Tutsi population and formerly with the 
office of the governor of North Kivu. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Comment:  The lengthy period between the Gizenga 
resignation (September 25), Muzito's nomination (October 10) and the 
presentation of the government to the National Assembly (October 31) 
is in stark contrast to the Assembly's rapid discussion, debate, and 
approval of the government (November 1-2).  Such a lengthy period 
belied the urgent security situation in the Kivus and in the Ituri 
district of the Orientale Province, which present the Muzito 
government with its most pressing challenges.  The retention of the 
primary budgetary, economic and fiscal ministers will likely ensure 
continuity with donor coordination teams and familiarity with 
critical portfolios during the 2009 budget examination process. 
This continuity is critical as the GDRC addresses donor concerns 
over the multi-billion China agreement and takes steps towards a new 
IMF program.  At the same time, the GDRC must do more to address 
discontent over the high cost of living and the perceived lack of 
attention to the basic economic needs of the population.  The most 
significant changes are in the defense and security sectors, 
unsurprising in light of the recent poor performance of the FARDC 
against armed groups in the east.  Finally, the creation of the 
three Deputy Prime Minister positions tracks closely with Kabila's 
five development priorities program, although the primary criticism 
of the Gizenga government was one not of structure, but of political 
will.  End comment. 
 
BROCK