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Congo lawmakers pass no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Ilunga

LAWMAKERS in the Democratic Republic of Congo voted yesterday to oust Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba, collapsing the government and handing President Felix Tshisekedi a chance to appoint loyalists to key ministries.

Last month Tshisekedi moved to end a coalition formed with his predecessor Joseph Kabila that has constrained Tshisekedi’s authority since he took office in January 2019.

Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, 26 March 2019. Photo: Paul Kagame/flickr

This culminated in Wednesday’s no-confidence vote against the prime minister, one of the last vestiges of Kabila’s hold on government. It passed with 367 of 377 votes.

“One of my missions is to control the executive which, if it does not meet the concerns of the people, must be removed,” member of parliament and author of the no confidence motion, Cherubin Okende, told Reuters.

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Kabila’s allies, including Ilunkamba, boycotted the vote, saying the interim speaker of parliament did not have constitutional authority to oversee a motion of no confidence.

Tshisekedi’s new political alliance, known as the Sacred Union, is yet to be officially formed but is likely to be comprised of more than 20 parties, giving him an overwhelming majority to pass legislation.

However, political analysts say Tshisekedi may also find it difficult to juggle the diverging interests of his coalition.

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By The African Mirror

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