DEMOCRATIC Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila will not stand for re-election in December, a government spokesman has announced.
Kabila’s ruling coalition nominated former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary as its presidential candidate, Lambert Mende, the government spokesman, said on Wednesday. The move put an end to years of speculation on whether Kabila would defy terms limits.
The government waited until the last moment to announce Kabila’s decision not to run. The electoral commission’s deadline for candidates to register was Wednesday afternoon.
Ramazani’s nomination came as a surprise.
‘Over the days, several names [of Kabila’s replacements] have been floating around, but his name never really featured,’ an analyst said.
‘The nomination came after a long consultation between the president and his coalition.’
The uncertainty about Kabila’s intentions raised concern over the past few days, she said.
‘But now that has been cleared and analysts are telling us that these tensions that have been in the country could de-escalate,’ the analyst added.
Kabila, whose second term officially ended in 2016, is constitutionally ineligible to run in December’s poll, although his rivals accused him of wanting to stay in power.
Shadary, a close ally of Kabila, used to serve as deputy prime minister. He was sanctioned by the European Union for alleged human rights violations in 2017.
Shadary counts as one of Kabila’s most loyal followers but, as a politician, is not very popular among DR Congo’s roughly 80 million people.
‘It’s a rare bird,’ said Mende after the announcement, refusing to answer journalists’ questions about the candidacy.
Several opposition candidates have registered for the poll, including former Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba, who had convictions for war crimes and crimes against humanity overturned in June.
Another candidate is Vital Kamerhe, leader of opposition party Union for the Congolese Nation and former national assembly president, who came third in the 2011 election.
