Congolese use picks, shovels to fight Kabila`s DRC President-For-Life bid

Source: Biznews, 11/11/2015

Democracy is a dangerous thing, especially in this connected age where
the Internet allows instantaneous flow of information at the touch of
a cell phone button. Beijing knows this all too well, hence the Great
Firewall of China and in-house censors at news organisations.
Increasingly nowadays in Africa where such control is absent,
political leaders abusing power do so at their peril. Robert Mugabe
has managed to loot the public purse and destroy the Zimbabwean
economy while staying atop his precarious perch. That`s largely
because the Disapora of his well educated and often desperate
countrymen has generated remittances to families, staving off the
worst consequences of those destructive policies. But as wanna-be
Mugabe`s are discovering, like everyone else on earth, Africans love
the idea of being able to vote leaders in and out of power. The
current chaos in Burundi was sparked by a Big Man trying to change the
rules to his own advantage. DRC President Joseph Kabila wants to do
likewise. He is starting to feel the heat. Long live
democracy.

And the Internet. – Alec Hogg
By Aaron Ross
LUBUMBASHI, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nov 10 (Reuters) – Police in
Democratic Republic of Congo`s mining hub fired tear gas on Tuesday at
opposition supporters brandishing sticks and shovels who were
protesting against arrests targeting youth leaders.


Political unrest has spread across the country, Africa`s top copper
producer, as opposition parties accuse President Joseph Kabila of
seeking to circumvent a constitutional term limit and hang onto power
beyond the end of his current mandate next year.


Gabriel Kyungu wa Kumwamza, president of the National Union of
Federalists of Congo (UNAFEC), said soldiers arrested about 15 youth
members early on Tuesday at the party`s headquarters in Lubumbashi,
the main city in the copper-rich Katanga region.


"It is simply provocation and harassment," he said. "The people in
power know that they are going to fail. That is why they don`t want
there to be elections. They want to provoke problems so that the
elections don`t happen."


UNAFEC is one of several parties that were expelled from the ruling
coalition in September after they demanded immediate steps to ensure
that a presidential election scheduled for November 2016 is held on
time.


A local police commander said problems initially arose early on
Tuesday as a result of UNAFEC youth members who he claimed were
hassling people at one of the city`s public markets.


Later, several hundred UNAFEC supporters shouted abuse at dozens of
police officers massed near the party`s headquarters before some began
throwing stones at the security forces, who responded with volleys of
tear gas.


Several African governments, including Rwanda and Democratic Republic
of Congo`s smaller neighbour Congo Republic, have changed their
constitutions or are taking steps to do so in order to prolong
long-ruling presidents` time in power.


Kabila`s spokesman has repeatedly stated that he plans to respect the
constitution and on Monday he called for a national dialogue on the
organisation of the elections.


"The President of the Republic promises to put in place a preparation
committee to determine the format and the issues to be treated,"
Senate president Leon Kengo wa Dondo told the body.


A number of opposition figures have already rejected the proposed
talks, however, claiming it is part of a strategy to delay the polls.