US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA183

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 000183 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, KDEM, CG 
SUBJECT: HIGH-LEVEL DISCUSSIONS ON ELECTIONS, CONSTITUTION 
 
 
Classified By: Poloff Edward Bestic for Reasons 1.4 B and D 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY:  Senior Congolese political figures are 
holding a seminar in Kinshasa February 2, 3, and 4 to discuss 
electoral and constitutional issues.  Key players such as 
opposition figure Etienne Tshisekedi and the Catholic Church 
will not participate.  Ideally, the conference will lead to 
tangible progress on the constitution and an announcement of 
concrete next steps for electoral preparations, especially 
including the start of voter registration no later than June 
2005.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) With EU and Belgian funding, the Congolese parliament 
and government are holding an "inter-institutional seminar" 
February 2-4 on elections and the constitution.  The EU and 
Belgians originally intended for the seminar to serve as a 
means of jump-starting the constitutional drafting process. 
(Note:  After one and a half years of existence, the Senate 
has yet to complete a final draft.  End Note.)  Given 
increased public anger in recent weeks at the notion that 
national elections might not take place in June 2005, event 
organizers decided to add the elections question to the 
seminar's agenda. 
 
3. (SBU) The first day of the seminar (February 2) will 
consist of speeches by various high-level political figures. 
The second day (February 3), participants will break down 
into three working groups:  one on electoral preparations and 
security for elections; another on financing of elections; 
and a third on constitutional issues.  The third day 
(February 4) will consist of debate and discussion in the 
morning, followed by presentation of a final, collective 
report in the afternoon.  Key ambassadors of the 
International Committee to Support the Transition (CIAT) have 
indicated they will attend not just the opening and closing 
ceremonies but also some of the working-level meetings.  In 
addition, the CIAT plans to meet in extraordinary session the 
evenings of February 2, 3 and 4 to review each day's outcome. 
 
4. (SBU) Critics of the transitional government have 
erroneously depicted the seminar as an attempt to renegotiate 
the Global and All-Inclusive Agreement and prolong the 
transition.  The most notable opponent is UDPS party leader 
Etienne Tshisekedi, who was invited but has refused to take 
part in the seminar.  (Note:  During the week of January 
24-28, tracts promulgated by M-17, UDPS and MLC circulated in 
Kinshasa calling upon people to participate in a January 28 
demonstration and a January 30 general strike, to protest 
against the seminar.  Neither the protest nor the strike took 
place.  End Note.)  Another key group not attending is the 
Catholic Church.  On February 1 Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo, 
president of the Catholic Bishops Conference, said the aim of 
the seminar was vague and that the Catholic clergy would not 
participate. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
5. (C) Ideally, the conference will lead to an announcement 
of concrete next steps for electoral preparations, especially 
including the start of voter registration no later than June 
2005.  Also, we and others want to use the seminar to spur 
the Congolese into engaging in a real debate on 
constitutional issues--something that has not happened 
yet--and possibly even reach compromises on key issues such 
as the form of the state (federal vs. unitary) and type of 
regime (parliamentary, presidential, semi-presidential). We 
will report results--for better or worse--septels. END 
COMMENT. 
MEECE