Good afternoon. I understand the Chair would like me to introduce myself to you. As you know, my name is Henri S'Wana. I am 43 years old and I am a diplomat. The Chair asked about the DRC minister of foreign affairs, who is Mr. Antoine Ghonda, coming from MLC, the former rebellion group.
We have a national Government of transition and everybody is involved in the transition. After this transition, we want to go to elections and give to our population the opportunity to say who will be the head of state, members of Parliament and holders of other posts. Approximately six months into 2005, we expect elections to sanction people who were killers or bandits, because we now need conciliation. I have prepared a speech which the Chair might allow me to read. I will then answer questions from members.
Distinguished Members of Parliament, members of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, ladies and gentlemen, let me begin by expressing my gratitude for the invitation and the warm welcome and hospitality I have enjoyed since arriving in Ireland. I very much hope that we will have the opportunity to reciprocate in the near future. I am particularly delighted to address this august assembly of a country which has made a significant contribution to the peace process in my country, as I will explain shortly.
I was asked to talk about the very important issue of the forthcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As you will agree, this is a very complex topic, especially when one considers the number of actors involved at the national, regional and international levels. However, I will attempt to provide a brief overview of the issue around the following key points: a brief overview of the history of elections in the DRC, the transition and the electoral process and the conditions for successful elections.
It is important to note from the outset that the DRC does not have any experience or history of organising democratic elections. Apart from some local elections held in some areas in 1958, the only real experience of elections in the DRC was in 1960 at independence. These elections took place within the context of a parliamentary regime with proportional representation but resulted in a coalition Government since no party was able to attain a majority.
However, this marriage of convenience did not last because of irreconcilable differences between the leaders of various political parties. This lack of understanding between political leaders resulted in a political chaos, which culminated in a series of mutual dismissals between President Kasavubu and Prime Minister Lumumba. Amid this political chaos, amplified by the secession of the mineral-rich Katanga province, a second round of elections was attempted in 1965 but never succeeded. Taking advantage of this chaotic situation and helped by certain foreign powers, Lieutenant - later Lieutenant Colonel, General and then Marshal - Mobutu took power in November 1965.
In 1967, a second constitution was adopted limiting the number of political parties to two in order to address some of the problems experienced during the first elections after independence, which resulted in an unworkable coalition. However, this was never implemented as Mobutu went on to form his Mouvement Populaire de la Revolution, MPR, followed by successive amendments of the constitution, which resulted in the concentration of powers in the presidency of the Republic and the proclamation of a one party system in 1971.
It is within the context of a single party that a number of what could be called mock elections were held throughout Mobutu's regime. After the fall of the Mobutu regime in 1997, the country was engulfed in a conflict involving a number of our neighbouring countries until December 2002, when a peace agreement was agreed in Pretoria following a round of inter-Congolese dialogues.
What about the transition and electoral process? The transitional constitution adopted following the signing of the Pretoria peace agreement makes provisions for the organisation of free, fair and transparent elections at all levels within 24 months of the signing of the agreement. There are also provisions for extending the transitional period by a further six months, renewable only once. Since the signing of the agreement, President Kabila has been working relentlessly to make sure that elections are held within the agreed deadline. It is in this context that last month President Kabila urged members of our Parliament urgently to adopt legislation regarding the functioning of political parties and the institutions established to support the transition process. On the other hand, during his recent visit across Europe about a week ago in Paris, London, Berlin and Brussels and the European Commission, he reaffirmed his determination and that of the transitional national Government to hold elections in accordance with provisions included in the global and inclusive agreement. I ask members to accept his warmest greetings and his high expectations of seeing their Parliament develop a beneficial rapport with the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo in order to exchange experiences.
There are two sets of conditions for the successful organisation of elections in the Congo: improvements in the general political situation and some technical and logistical considerations. The transition Government has set out a number of key objectives without which it will not be possible to organise free and fair elections in the DRC. They are the consolidation of peace; the reunification of the country's territory; the re-establishment of the Government's authority throughout the country; and national reconciliation. Members will agree that the organisation of elections can only take place if the above conditions have been met. In other words, the war must end effectively throughout the country, the Government's administrative machinery must reach all corners of the country and free movement of people and goods must be fully re-established.
Although we are still dealing with the legacies of this atrocious war and despite the massive destruction of the country's social and economic infrastructure, I can confidently say that we are in the process of meeting all these objectives. The transitional Parliament has been busy working on legislation which should allow the establishment of a new political order in the country in the near future. However, this positive trend has been hampered by some warlords who continue to challenge the Government's authority in some areas, a situation we expect to resolve with the support of the UN through its mission in our country.
The technical and logistical considerations are related to the electoral process proper and include the completion by Parliament of the electoral regulations, of the law regulating the functioning of political parties and of the constitution of the third republic. Besides these considerations, there are logistical issues such as the reorganisation of constituencies, a population census, voters' registration, training of electoral monitors and so on. Another key challenge will be the adoption of measures to guarantee the independence and authority of the electoral commission, which has been a problem in many African countries. This is particularly important in post-conflict situations where lack of trust in the electoral commission may result in resumption of conflict after contested elections.
While my Government is determined to deliver free and fair elections in 2005, it is also conscious of the existing challenges and limitations, which it is seeking to address by seeking support from the international community. In particular, support is sought in the following areas: population survey - the last one was held in 1984; logistical, infrastructural and technical support; election monitoring; and support for non-governmental organisations.
Members will agree that these elections represent a real challenge for my Government, particularly because of the specific nature of the recent history of my country. Unlike other countries where elections are held as part of a democratic routine, elections in the DRC carry a number of expectations, including healing the wounds of one of the most atrocious conflicts ever and the establishment of a new political order, which has been long overdue. Faced with this challenge, my Government is seeking support from all our friends and partners around the world and in particular from the Republic of Ireland, which currently holds the Presidency of the EU, at a critical moment in our history.
It would be ungrateful of me not to acknowledge the continuing support the Republic of Ireland has provided for the peace process and transition in my country through multilateral mechanisms at EU level. I express my wish to see this support further extended at bilateral level through direct collaboration between this Parliament and ours. My country will be grateful for any support the Irish Government can provide through the transition process, either through the UN mission to the Congo or directly to my Government. The people of the Congo need the support of the Irish Government at this difficult time.