Sacred Union of the Nation
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Sacred Union of the Nation | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Félix Tshisekedi |
| Founded | December 6, 2020 |
| Merger of | Union for Democracy and Social Progress Union for the Congolese Nation Movement for the Liberation of the Congo Unified Lumumbist Party Alliance of the Democratic Forces of Congo and Allies Alliance of Construction for an Emergent Congo Future of Congo |
The Sacred Union of the Nation (French: Union sacrée de la nation; SUN) is a parliamentary coalition within the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is made up of several parties including the Union for Democracy and Social Progress, the Union for the Congolese Nation, the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo, the Unified Lumumbist Party, and the Alliance of the Democratic Forces of Congo and Allies.[1] It was formed in December 2020 by Felix Tshisekedi following a fallout between the Heading for Change and Joseph Kabila's Common Front for Congo.[2] Although it wouldn't be until April 2021 when the coalition was able to take control of the government after a four-month long power struggle. Currently, the coalition is made up of 391 members coming from 24 different political parties.[3]
The stated goal of the coalition is to provide security (mainly in the east), infrastructure, promotion of the rule of law, improve the life of its citizens, and implement electoral reform.[3]
In recent gubernatorial elections, the coalition won 11 of the 14 governorships up for election.[4]
Background
2018 Election
In 2018, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) held a long overdue presidential election. The outcome of this election, which became a subject of widespread controversy, ultimately led to the assumption of power by Felix Tshisekedi in January 2019. It is widely speculated that Tshisekedi entered into a secret agreement with outgoing president, Joseph Kabila, just eight days prior to the official release of the election results, to overturn the election.[5]
The secret agreement between Tshisekedi and Kabila allowed for the ladder to retained significant control over governmental decision-making processes through his party the Common Front for Congo (FCC). Furthermore, the agreement granted immunity to Kabila and his allies, shielding them from legal repercussions, while also bestowing upon the FCC the authority to appoint important ministerial positions. Consequently, this arrangement left Tshisekedi and his coalition, the Coalition for Change (CACH), with limited sway over the national assembly and the senate, both of which were predominantly dominated by the FCC.[5]
Challenging the legitimacy of Tshisekedi's victory, the Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of the Congo asserted that the true winner of the election was Martin Fayulu, thereby casting doubt on the credibility of the electoral process.[5]
Tshisekedi-Kabila Split
Much like previous power-sharing deals, the CAHA-FCC alliance proved to be ineffective in providing national security and addressing the economic challenges faced by the country such as its people's poor living conditions.[2] The alliance encountered significant internal conflicts, which emerged when Tshisekedi made critical appointments to military leadership and civilian courts without seeking the endorsement of the FCC. Furthermore, Tshisekedi's decision to appoint two constitutional court judges that were rejected by the FCC further intensified the disagreements.[5]
Another point of conflict centered around the appointment of Ronsard Malonda as the head of the Independent National Electoral Commission by the national assembly without obtaining the consent of President Tshisekedi.[5]
The FCC strongly believed that Tshisekedi's appointments were a deliberate attempt to consolidate his power and distance himself from the coalition before the upcoming 2023 elections. Tshisekedi, on the other hand, held the view that the FCC was impeding the progress of his reform agenda. Consequently, he made the decision to form his own coalition, presumably with the aim of advancing his policy objectives independently.[2][5]
History
Formation
After spending a month consulting political parties and prominent figures, on 6 December 2020, Tshisekedi declared in a speech that he planned to and to split off from FCC and form a new coalition. He threaten that if he didn't get enough members to joins his coalition then he would dissolve parliament.[2][6] Many MPs feared that they might lose their jobs and so switch over to Tshisekedi's new coalition.[7]
Government
References
- ^ "Political structure". country.eiu.com. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
- ^ a b c d ISSAfrica.org (2021-08-25). "Will the DRC's 'sacred union' deliver electoral reform?". ISS Africa. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
- ^ a b "DR Congo announces new government – DW – 04/12/2021". dw.com. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
- ^ Koyi, Ikaba. "DR Congo: Provincial elections a dress rehearsal for 2023 polls". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
- ^ a b c d e f ISSAfrica.org (2020-12-01). "DRC's shady political alliance unravels". ISS Africa. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ "DR Congo President Tshisekedi announces he is quitting 'Kabila coalition'". France 24.
- ^ "How DR Congo's Tshisekedi loosened Kabila's grip on power". France 24.