US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA1956

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001956 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/28/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, KCOR, CG 
SUBJECT: KAMITATU DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM MLC/GOVERNMENT 
 
REF: A. KINSHASA 01893 
 
     B. KINSHASA 01926 
 
Classified By: PolOff TJNaber, reasons 1.4 b/d. 
 
1. (SBU) Olivier Kamitatu, President of the National Assembly 
and Secretary General of the MLC party, along with 45 MLC 
senators and deputies from all provinces, delivered a letter 
on November 26 asking MLC founder and DRC Vice President 
Jean-Pierre Bemba for a more democratic party.  In it, the 
MLC parliamentarians denounced current politicians and called 
for a new group of leaders sincerely interested in the 
development of the country and well-being of the population. 
According to some press accounts, Bemba and those MLC members 
not signing the document view Kamitatu as a traitor to Bemba 
and the party for trying to gain the Prime Ministership under 
an alliance with Pierre Pay Pay and former MLC minister Jose 
Endundo. (Reftel A) 
 
2. (C) Only last week, Kamitatu distanced himself from the 
government with his public criticism of the cabinet 
re-shuffle of November 18. (Reftel B)  He pointed out that 
not one of the nine ministers called before the Parliament in 
the last month to answer to charges of mismanagement lost 
their jobs in the re-shuffle.  He accused the Transition 
Government of ignoring the "objective conclusions" of the 
Parliament about these ministers and of continuing to operate 
on a quota system in the face of bad governance and reported 
overspending by ministries. 
 
3. (C) Comment: Kamitatu's criticism about the cabinet 
re-shuffle was disingenuous since the transitional framework 
sets out that the various factions choose who will head the 
ministries they have been allotted.  Kamitatu of course knows 
this, and President Kabila made the point publicly after 
being widely criticized after the re-shuffle.  Kamitatu is 
clearly trying to burnish his anti-corruption credentials, 
while distancing himself from other transition leaders, 
before elections.  In that respect, his public calls for good 
governance and new leadership make political sense.  End 
comment. 
DOUGHERTY