[Chronicle] – The suspension of Modeste Bahati from the Common Front for the Congo (FCC) for maintaining his candidacy for the presidency in the Senate against the will of the moral Authority of this political platform pushed Professor Adolphe Voto to conclude, in his analysis, that those who challenged Joseph Kabila did not die, neither politically nor physically.
On the contrary, they have restored their political health. On the other hand, those who have missed the courage to challenge Kabila have died politically, some physically. Below is his column:
The political challenge
Joseph Kabila, like his predecessors will have significantly marked the history of his country, so that at one time, all Congolese politics was defined by the ratio of each political actor with the one who commands, according to one is opponent or collaborator. It is in this dualistic relation that each of the politicians is situated.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, political life is not defined by an ideology, but by the relationship with the leader. Either we are with him, or we are not with him. This is the Congolese political ideology.
To schematize the Congolese political scene in ideology of left or right, Republican or Democrat, is wasting time. Because overnight, the actors who say they are left find themselves right for a position or those on the right make an alliance with those left to share power.
All that matters is to share power or not be with you to wait for power. Also, it is not surprising to see a Nzanga Mobutu or Felix Tshisekedi make an alliance with Camp Kabila that they fought from father to son.
Those who challenged the leader
Apart from members of the opposition whose role is known to challenge the power in place, among the personalities who have chosen at some point in their political career to challenge Joseph Kabila, we can mention Moïse Katumbi, the G7 members, including Pierre Lumbi, José Endundo and Olivier Kamitatu; some political actors who play in the fifth column within the majority like Henri-Thomas Lokondo, Kinkiey Mulumba, Modeste Bahati, etc.
All those political actors who worked with Kabila had the courage, at one point, to challenge the leader. They died neither politically nor physically. On the other hand, some have recovered their political health and guaranteed their political future with the possibility of surviving the Kabila era.
We will remember the letter of the G7 addressed to Joseph Kabila to ask him not to run for the third term, a letter reminiscent of the thirteen parliamentarians in Mobutu. It will also be remembered by MK Bolengetenge of the MSR in Kingakati about Kabila asking him not to run for a third term.
On the other hand, there are many who have not had enough courage to challenge Joseph Kabila. They chose to play hypocrisy, either for fear of a Kabila who was often presented, sometimes wrongly, as a monster, or simply by the bulimia of power. They have thus compromised their career. Some have died physically, others politically.
Moses Katumbi
The former governor of Katanga was one of Joseph Kabila’s closest aides. They had to share political secrets and business secrets. But at one point, in the face of Joseph Kabila’s dictatorship, he chose to distance himself. On the contrary, he went further by declaring his candidacy to replace Kabila. We will remember the famous formula « third penalty. » The story will prove him right and Kabila will not score a third penalty.
Although Moïse Katumbi was prevented from being a candidate, he is well positioned and counts today on the Congolese political scene. It’s true that at one point he had physical health concerns, but he’s dead, neither physically nor politically. He is even more alive than before.
Among those who were with Kabila and who rebelled, we must mention the G7 members, including Pierre Lumbi. He is still a close friend. Pierre Lumbi has been Kabila’s special advisor on security matters. There is no closer than that. He too, at one time, like Moses Katumbi, chose the path of rebellion. Nobody could believe that Pierre Lumbi left Kabila. Or it’s a trick, or it’s unforgivable. It’s like a woman who divorces with her husband. It’s the transition from love to hatred.
But a few years later, Pierre Lumbi is alive and in very good political health. His party is among those who have elected enough members of the opposition and he counts in the Congolese political chessboard.
José Endundo
Another who left Kabila and who has rebounded is José Endundo. The PDC President has been Kabila’s minister several times. But he also chose to leave Kabila with the G7. This decision allowed him to restore his political health. Originally from Ecuador, José Endundo was not elected in 2011 because of his membership in Camp Kabila. But precisely because of his distance from Kabila, he is triple armband in 2018: He was elected at the same time deputy provincial, national deputy and senator. He can still hope for a long political career.
Henri-Thomas Lokondo
The eternally elected Mbandaka is known for his big face against the power to which he belongs. As part of the Presidential Majority, Henry-Thomas Lokondo has often swum against the current within this majority. The last parade was when he ran as an independent candidate for the presidency of the National Assembly, while Joseph Kabila had already appointed Jeanine Mabunda on behalf of the FCC.
HTM does not play hypocrisy in the Majority or a scenario to distract the public. He chose his fight: that of saying no when it is necessary to say no, even if it is the chief who spoke. This position earned him the esteem of both Congolese and the majority in power who does not have the courage to defenestrate. Lokondo certainly has a long political career.
Kinkiey Mulumba
Opportunistic or realistic? In any case KKM had the political courage to take a stand as the boat Kabila took water on the eve of the 2018 presidential elections. The Presidential Majority had opted for a single candidacy after Kabila’s is desisted from the race. The leader will appoint Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary for his own reasons.
Everyone knew it was a bad choice and Shadary had no chance to win. But given the fear and hypocrisy that characterize this majority, all those, like Matata Mponyo or Modeste Bahati who had ambitions and yet were better than Shadary, have preferred to keep quiet.
Kinkiey Mulumba who, however, was at a more kabilist moment than the kabilists with his » Kabila desire » and » Kabila totondiyo nano te », will find a pretext: if the leader is not a candidate, he there is no reason for me not to be a candidate.
Kinkiey Mulumba will announce his candidacy for the presidential elections, even if no one could give him even 1 percent of the vote. His party was established only in Kinshasa and in his native Masimbanimba