VZCZCXRO1377
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0245/01 0760915
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 170915Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9311
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000245 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO CG
SUBJECT: KAMERHE DEFIES KABILA; TO PUT QUESTION OF RESIGNATION TO 
PARLIAMENTARY LEADERSHIP 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Amid great speculation he would announce his 
resignation, National Assembly President Vital Kamerhe delivered the 
keynote speech at the March 16 ceremony opening of the spring 
session of the national legislature.  Kamerhe said he was unwilling 
to step down without referring the question of his resignation to a 
vote by parliamentary committee chairmen and caucus leaders in 
accordance with the National Assembly's by-laws.  He reviewed the 
previous session's accomplishments, noted the importance of the role 
of women in DRC public life and saluted the recent victory of the 
DRC national soccer team at an Africa-wide tournament.  He also 
called on the government to release human rights and pro-democracy 
activists arrested just before the opening of parliament, apparently 
in a pre-emptive move to prevent them from organizing pro-Kamerhe 
demonstrations.  But no major protests were reported in connection 
with the opening of the National Assembly, despite persistent rumors 
students and labor groups would take to the streets against an 
alleged government plan to force Kamerhe to step down.  The ceremony 
was not covered by the press as the government imposed a media 
black-out, apparently to prevent Kamerhe from using the event as a 
national platform to make his case against President Joseph Kabila. 
The power struggle between the two men over control of the National 
Assembly could end later in the week when a no-confidence vote will 
likely be held; their rivalry, however, will continue.  End Summary. 
 
 
¶2.  (U) National Assembly President Vital Kamerhe delivered on March 
16 a much-anticipated speech at the opening of the national 
legislature's spring session.  The event was boycotted by most 
Assembly members (we estimate 150-200 deputies of a total of 500 
were present) pursuant to instructions from the majority coalition 
(of which Kamerhe is a member), that they boycott the event to snub 
Kamerhe over his unwillingness to resign under pressure from 
President Joseph Kabila.  (Note:  Four of five members of the 
Assembly's Executive Bureau resigned under pressure in the past two 
weeks.  End note.)  Also absent were Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito 
and the three deputy Prime Ministers.  Attendance by members of the 
Diplomatic Corps was high. 
 
No resignation without consultation 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) Approximately halfway through the 45-minute speech, Kamerhe 
revealed his immediate plans regarding his status as President of 
the Assembly.  He said he would submit the question of his 
resignation to the next meeting of the "Conference of Chairmen" in 
the National Assembly, for discussion and debate in a plenary 
session.  The Conference of Chairmen ("Conference des Presidents" in 
French) is composed of the members of the Executive Bureau of the 
National Assembly, the presidents of the seven standing 
parliamentary commissions, the president of the Commission of Elders 
("Comite des Sages"), and the chairs of the eleven parliamentary 
caucuses. 
 
¶4.  (U) Kamerhe began the speech with a review of the September 2008 
regular and January 2009 extraordinary sessions.  He noted the 
passage of the 2009 budget and of a law protecting the rights of 
children, as well as the exercise of parliamentary oversight through 
the questioning of ministers and recommendations submitted to the 
Prime Minister.  He said the assembly petition circulated in January 
for an extraordinary session to address the joint Rwandan-DRC 
anti-FDLR operations was not initiated at his request and was not 
addressed to President Kabila but to Prime Minister Muzito.  He 
asked rhetorically what collective transgressions the other members 
of the bureau must have committed to provoke their sequential 
resignation.  Throughout the speech, Kamerhe referred to his support 
for a rapprochement with Rwanda and the primacy of the preservation 
of democratic principles and adherence to the Constitution. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Kamerhe closed his speech, which was interrupted several 
times by applause, by noting the important role of the Assembly in 
promoting the protection of women's rights and increased female 
representation in public office.  He also saluted the national 
soccer team for its March 8 victory at the Africa Nations 
Championship in Abidjan.  His final remarks called for the release 
of human rights and pro-democracy activists who were recently 
detained. 
 
Human rights activists arrested 
------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Kamerhe was clearly referring to several arrests over the 
previous weekend.  According to the National Network of Human Rights 
NGOs (RENADHOC), on March 15 police arrested "Voix des Sans Voix" 
(VSV) Executive Director Floribert Chebeya Bahizire, VSV Deputy 
Executive Director Dolly Inefo Mbunga, and RENADHOC Reception 
 
KINSHASA 00000245  002 OF 002 
 
 
Director Donat Tshikaya during a press conference.  The police 
reportedly beat and arrested the activists as they announced plans 
for a march on Parliament in support of Kamerhe.  According to one 
report, the activists were planning to wage an illegal sit-in at the 
National Assembly.  Following the arrests, the police allegedly 
locked the remaining NGO's and journalists in the meeting room as 
they ransacked the RENADHOC offices and seized computers, supplies, 
and a camera from a private TV station.  On March 14 the police 
arrested three student leaders for their planned participation in 
the protests.  The arrests were apparently carried out in a 
pre-emptive effort to prevent the activists from leading pro-Kamerhe 
demonstrations. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Georges Kapiamba, President of the local NGO African 
Association of Human Rights (ASADHO), told emboff March 16 that he 
had given interviews to several international news agencies and that 
ASADHO has issued a press release condemning the arrests and 
demanding that the activists be released immediately. 
 
Media black-out; no violence reported 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) In a surprise move early in the morning of March 16 the 
government decided to prevent live television and radio coverage of 
the event.  The media blackout was apparently designed to prevent 
giving Kamerhe a national stage to deliver what many thought would 
be a defiant anti-Kabila speech. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) No incidents of violence were reported in connection with 
the opening of parliament. Rumors were rampant in recent days that 
mass demonstrations would be held to protest an alleged plan by the 
government to force Kamerhe to resign.  Some observers predicted the 
demonstrations would turn violent.  The absence of demonstrations 
was due to the pre-emptive detention of would-be agitators and also 
to a massive police presence throughout Kinshasa. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Comment:  Today's events were mostly an anti-climax; 
little, if any, progress was made in resolving the Kabila-Kamerhe 
power struggle.  On the bright side, however, both protagonists 
demonstrated restraint and violence was avoided, although the 
government overreached by arresting activists and imposing a media 
black-out.  The immediate cause of contention between them could be 
resolved this week when a vote of no-confidence is held, with the 
likely outcome that Kamerhe loses.  But their rivalry will not end 
any time soon.  One wonders if the next phase will be an intense, 
protracted confrontation a la Madagascar, or a softer form of 
competition, perhaps with Kamerhe leaving the scene for a sabbatical 
abroad.  End comment. 
 
GARVELINK