Politics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

By | 08/05/2008 |

Government

After 4 years of interim
between two constitutions that established different political
institution at the various levels of all branches of government, as
well as different administrative divisions of the country, politics in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo are settling into a stable presidential democratic republic.

The transitional constitution^[7] established a system composed of a bicameral legislature with a Senate and a National Assembly.
The Senate has, among other things, the charge of drafting the new
constitution of the country. The executive branch is vested in a
60-member cabinet, headed by a pentarchy of a President,
and four vice presidents. The President is also the Commander-in Chief
of the Armed forces. The unusual organization of the executive —
considering the large number of vice presidents — has earned it the
very official nickname of "The 1 + 4".^{[citation needed]}

The transition constitution also established a relatively
independent judiciary, headed by a Supreme Court with constitutional
interpretation powers.

The 2006 constitution, also known as the Constitution of the Third Republic,
came into effect in February 2006. It has concurrent authority,
however, with the transitional constitution until the inauguration of
the elected officials who will emerge from the July 2006 elections.
Under this constitution, the legislature will remain bicameral; the
executive will be concomitantly undertaken by a President and the
government; and the latter will be led by a Prime Minister, appointed
from the party with the majority at the National Assembly. The
government – not the President – is responsible to the Parliament.

The provincial governments will gain new powers, under the new
decentralized model, with the creation of provincial parliaments, with
oversight over the Governor, head of the provincial government, whom
they elect.

The new constitution also sees the disappearance of the Supreme
Court, which is divided into three new institutions. The constitutional
interpretation prerogative of the Supreme Court will be held by the Constitutional Court.

Provinces and territories

The constitution approved in 2005 divided the country into 26 fairly autonomous provinces, including the capital, Kinshasa to be formed by February 2009.

A new provincial map of Democratic Republic of Congo

	Province	Capital
1.	Kinshasa	Kinshasa
2.	Kongo central	Matadi
3.	Kwango	Kenge
4.	Kwilu	Kikwit
5.	Mai-Ndombe	Inongo
6.	Kasaï	Luebo
7.	Lulua	Kananga
8.	Kasaï oriental	Mbuji-Mayi
9.	Lomami	Kabinda
10.	Sankuru	Lodja
11.	Maniema	Kindu
12.	Sud-Kivu	Bukavu
13.	Nord-Kivu	Goma

	Province	Capital
14.	Ituri	Bunia
15.	Haut-Uele	Isiro
16.	Tshopo	Kisangani
17.	Bas-Uele	Buta
18.	Nord-Ubangi	Gbadolite
19.	Mongala	Lisala
20.	Sud-Ubangi	Gemena
21.	Équateur	Mbandaka
22.	Tshuapa	Boende
23.	Tanganyika	Kalemie
24.	Haut-Lomami	Kamina
25.	Lualaba	Kolwezi
26.	Haut-Katanga	Lubumbashi