NationMaster - Encyclopedia: President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

FACTOID # 141: Only 4% of married women in Chad are using contraceptives.

Interesting health facts »

Home

Encyclopedia

WHAT'S NEW

RECENT ARTICLES

More Recent Articles »

Encyclopedia > President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

i frted #REDIRECT [[

Democratic Republic of the Congo
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Image File history File links Download high resolution version (751x724, 147 KB) Summary InterprÃ©tation des Armoiries de la RÃ©publique dÃ©mocratique du Congo selon la constitution de 2006. ... Despite President Laurent-DÃ©sirÃ© Kabilas claims that his was a transitional government leading to a new constitution and full elections by April 1999, these elections have not as of 2004 been held, and a 1998 draft constitution has not been finalized. ...

Constitution President: Joseph Kabila Prime Minister: Antoine Gizenga Ministers Parliament Senate National Assembly Political parties Elections General: 2006 Senate: 2007 Governors: 2007 Constitutional Court Court of Cassation Subdivisions Provinces Territories MONUC Foreign relations Former institutions Vice Presidents Transitional Government Supreme Court
Other countries · Politics Portal view • talk • edit

The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (French: Président de la République démocratique du Congo, Swahili: Rais wa Jamhuri ya Kidemokrasia ya Kongo, Lingala: Mokonzi wa Republiki ya Kɔ́ngɔ Demokratiki) , is Congo's elected Head of State, and the ex officio "Supreme Commander" (Commander-in-Chief) of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC). Joseph Kabila Kabange (born June 4, 1971), known commonly as Joseph Kabila, became president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the assassination of his father Laurent-DÃ©sirÃ© Kabila in January 2001. ... The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (French: , Swahili: , Lingala: ) , is Congos Head of Government. ... Antoine Gizenga (born 5 October 1925) is a Congolese (DRC) politician, and the Prime Minister of the country since December 30, 2006. ... The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second institution in the central executive branch of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the first institution being the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who has the title of head of state. ... External Links Parlement de la Republique Democratique du Congo, Official Site ... ... Composition of the National Assembly This politics-related article is a stub. ... This article details the various political parties in the the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Congo (Kinshasa) gives information on election and election results in Congo (Kinshasa). ... General elections were held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on July 30, 2006, the first multiparty elections in the country in 46 years. ... Elections to the Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo will be held on 2007-01-19, though they were originally scheduled for 2007-01-16. ... Gubernatorial elections will be held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 27 January and 2007-01-30, though they were originally scheduled for 16 January and 2007-01-19. ... The Constitutional Council (Conseil Constitutionnel) was established by the Constitution of the Third Republic on 18 February 2006. ... The Court of Cassation (French: ) is the main court of last resort in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Main article: Subdivisions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo The 2005 Congolese Constitution (article 2) - which came into effect in February 2006 - creates 25 new provinces, alongside the city/province of Kinshasa, which remains the capital city; this new territorial organization is to take effect within 36 months of... Territories of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Main article: Subdivisions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo The provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are divided into 129 territories (fr. ... The Mission of the United Nations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), abbreviated MONUC (a French acronym for Mission de l Organisation des Nations Unies en RÃ©publique dÃ©mocratique du Congo) is a United Nations peacekeeping force established on February 24, 2000, by Resolution 1291 of the United... Its location in the center of Africa has made DROC a key player in the region since independence. ... Following the end of the Second Congo War, transitional institutions were established, comprising of the former warring parties, as well as representatives of the non-belligerent opposition, and representatives of the civil society. ... Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Stub: In 2001 President Luarent Kabila was assasinated and his son Joseph Kabila was named head of state. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... Swahili (also called Kiswahili; see below for derivation) is a Bantu language the most widely spoken language of sub-Saharan Africa. ... Lingala is a Bantu language spoken throughout the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) and a large part of the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), as well as to some degree in Angola and the Central African Republic. ... Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State of 16 countries including: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand and the Bahamas, as well as crown colonies and overseas territories of the United Kingdom. ... This page includes English translations of several Latin phrases and abbreviations such as . ... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ... Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Kisempia Sungilanga FARDC The Democratic Republic of Congo is putting together a new national army following the Second Congo War. ...

The position of President in the DRC has existed since the first constitution - known as The Fundamental Law - of 1960. However the powers of this position have varied over the years, from a limited shared role in the executive branch, with a prime minister, to a full-blown dictatorship. Under the current constitution, the President exists as the highest institution in a semi-presidential Republic. States with semi-presidential systems are shown in yellow The semi-presidential system is a system of government in which a prime minister and a president are both active participants in the day-to-day functioning of the administration of a country. ...

The current President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Joseph Kabila. Joseph Kabila Kabange (born June 4, 1971), known commonly as Joseph Kabila, became president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the assassination of his father Laurent-DÃ©sirÃ© Kabila in January 2001. ...

1 Presidential powers
2 Election
3 Requirements
4 Succession
5 Other information
6 See also
- 6.1 Historical Leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- 6.2 External links
7 Presidential powers
8 Election
9 Requirements
10 Succession
11 Other information
12 See also
- 12.1 Historical Leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- 12.2 External links

Presidential powers

The semi-presidential system established by the constitution is largely borrowed from the French constitution. Although it is the prime minister and parliament that oversee much of the nation's actual lawmaking, the president wields significant influence, both formally and from constitutional convention. The president holds the nation's most senior office, and outranks all other politicians. A prime minister is the most senior minister of a cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... External Links Parlement de la Republique Democratique du Congo, Official Site ...

Perhaps the president's greatest power is his or her ability to choose the prime minister. However, since only the National Assembly has the power to dismiss the Prime Minister's gouvernement, the president is forced to name a prime minister that commands the support of the majority of this assembly. Composition of the National Assembly This politics-related article is a stub. ...

When the majority of the Assembly has opposite political views to that of the president, this leads to political cohabitation. In that case, the president's power is diminished, since much of the de facto power relies on a supportive prime minister and National Assembly, and is not directly attributed to the post of president. Still, the constitutional convention is that the president directs foreign policy, though he must work on that matter with the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
When the majority of the Assembly sides with him, the President can take a more active role and may, in effect, direct government policy. The prime minister is then often a mere "fuse" — and can be replaced if the administration becomes unpopular.

Among the formal powers of the president:

Joseph Kabila, current President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The president promulgates laws.
The president has a very limited form of suspensive veto: when presented with a law, he or she can request another reading of it by Parliament, but only once per law.
The president may also refer the law for review to the Constitutional Council prior to promulgation.
The president may refer laws to popular referendum, within certain conditions.
The president names certain high officials (with the assent of the cabinet).
The president names certain members of the Constitutional Council.
The president receives foreign ambassadors.
The president may grant a pardon (but not an amnesty) to convicted criminals; the president can also lessen or suppress criminal sentences. This was of crucial importance when France still operated the death penalty: criminals sentenced to death would generally request that the president commute their sentence to life imprisonment.
The President is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and thus heads the High Council on Defence.

Image File history File linksMetadata Kabila_serment. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Kabila_serment. ...

Election

Under the 2006 constitution, the President of Democratic Republic of the Congo is directly elected to a five-year term - renewable only once - by universal suffrage. The first President to have been elected under these provisions is Joseph Kabila, in the 2006 elections. Universal suffrage (also general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief, or economic or social status. ... Joseph Kabila Kabange (born June 4, 1971), known commonly as Joseph Kabila, became president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the assassination of his father Laurent-DÃ©sirÃ© Kabila in January 2001. ... General elections were held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on July 30, 2006, the first multiparty elections in the country in 46 years. ...

In the DRC, the president is elected by a Two-round system of voting, which ensures the elected President always obtains a majority of the vote. If none of the candidates manage to receive the majority of the votes then the top two candidates in the election arrive at a run off. This allows smaller parties to have a greater impact on the outcome of elections, thus guaranteeing a multi-party system, as opposed to a two-party system. An example of runoff voting. ...

After the president is elected, he goes through a solemn investiture ceremony.[1] Investiture, from the Latin (preposition in and verb vestire, dress from vestis robe) is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent (heir, elect of nominee) in public office, especially by taking possession of its insignia. ...

Requirements

Article 72 of the Congolese constitution states that the President must be a natural born citizen - or more acurately: French: citoyen d'origine - of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and at least 30 years of age. Additionally, the President must be free of any legal constraints on their civil and political rights. In general, a natural-born citizen of a country is someone who is legally recognized as that countrys citizen as of the moment of birth, rather than by acquiring citizenship afterwards through naturalization. ...

Article 10 of the same constitution defines citoyen d'origine as : "anyone belonging to the ethnic groups whose persons and territory constituted what became the Congo (currently the Democratic Republic of the Congo), at independance".

Succession

Part of a series on: Orders of Succession
Presidencies
Argentina Austria Brazil PR China Rep. of China (Taiwan) DR Congo France Finland Germany India Ireland Mexico Pakistan Peru Philippines United States An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant. ... Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States (1861-1865) The majority of this article is about heads of states. ... The President of the Peoples Republic of China (Simplified Chinese: ä¸åŽäººæ°‘å…±å’Œå›½ä¸»å¸; Pinyin: ZhÅnghuÃ¡ RÃ©nmÃn GÃ²nghÃ©guÃ³ ZhÇ”xÃ, or abbreviated GuÃ³jiÄ ZhÇ”xÃ å›½å®¶ä¸»å¸) is the head of state of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Constitution of the Republic of China gives a short list of persons who will succeed to the presidency if the office of the President of the Republic of China were to become vacant. ...
see also: Monarchies Former Monarchies This box: view • talk • edit

Articles 75 and 76 of the constitution state that upon the death or resignation of the President, the vacancy of the position is declared by the Constitutional court. The President of the Senate then becomes interim president. ...

The Independant Electoral Commission has to organize elections between sixty (60) and eighty (90) days after the official declaration of vacancy by the Constitutional court.

Other information

Palais de la Nation,
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The official office of the president is the Palais de la Nation (Palace of the Nation) in Kinshasa. Image File history File links Palais_de_la_nation. ... Image File history File links Palais_de_la_nation. ... Kinshasa (formerly LÃ©opoldville or, before 1960, also Leopoldstad) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ...

The official residence of the president is the Camp Tshatshi Palace in Kinshasa, although it has not been used since it was looted in 1997. Other presidential residences include: Kinshasa (formerly LÃ©opoldville or, before 1960, also Leopoldstad) is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ...

the Palais de Marbre; it houses foreign official guests;
the Domaine de la Rwindi in Goma, Nord-Kivu;

Goma is a large city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Country Democratic Republic of the Congo Capital Goma Largest city Goma National language Swahili Land areaÂ¹ 59,483 kmÂ² Governor EugÃ¨ne Serufuli Ngayabaseka Population Density 3,564,434 (est. ...

Presidential powers

When the majority of the Assembly has opposite political views to that of the president, this leads to political cohabitation. In that case, the president's power is diminished, since much of the de facto power relies on a supportive prime minister and National Assembly, and is not directly attributed to the post of president. Still, the constitutional convention is that the president directs foreign policy, though he must work on that matter with the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
When the majority of the Assembly sides with him, the President can take a more active role and may, in effect, direct government policy. The prime minister is then often a mere "fuse" — and can be replaced if the administration becomes unpopular.

Among the formal powers of the president:

Joseph Kabila, current President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The president promulgates laws.
The president has a very limited form of suspensive veto: when presented with a law, he or she can request another reading of it by Parliament, but only once per law.
The president may also refer the law for review to the Constitutional Council prior to promulgation.
The president may refer laws to popular referendum, within certain conditions.
The president names certain high officials (with the assent of the cabinet).
The president names certain members of the Constitutional Council.
The president receives foreign ambassadors.
The president may grant a pardon (but not an amnesty) to convicted criminals; the president can also lessen or suppress criminal sentences. This was of crucial importance when France still operated the death penalty: criminals sentenced to death would generally request that the president commute their sentence to life imprisonment.
The President is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and thus heads the High Council on Defence.

Image File history File linksMetadata Kabila_serment. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Kabila_serment. ...

Election

After the president is elected, he goes through a solemn investiture ceremony.[2] Investiture, from the Latin (preposition in and verb vestire, dress from vestis robe) is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent (heir, elect of nominee) in public office, especially by taking possession of its insignia. ...

Requirements

Succession

Part of a series on: Orders of Succession
Presidencies
Argentina Austria Brazil PR China Rep. of China (Taiwan) DR Congo France Finland Germany India Ireland Mexico Pakistan Peru Philippines United States An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant. ... Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States (1861-1865) The majority of this article is about heads of states. ... The President of the Peoples Republic of China (Simplified Chinese: ä¸åŽäººæ°‘å…±å’Œå›½ä¸»å¸; Pinyin: ZhÅnghuÃ¡ RÃ©nmÃn GÃ²nghÃ©guÃ³ ZhÇ”xÃ, or abbreviated GuÃ³jiÄ ZhÇ”xÃ å›½å®¶ä¸»å¸) is the head of state of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Constitution of the Republic of China gives a short list of persons who will succeed to the presidency if the office of the President of the Republic of China were to become vacant. ...
see also: Monarchies Former Monarchies This box: view • talk • edit

The Independant Electoral Commission has to organize elections between sixty (60) and eighty (90) days after the official declaration of vacancy by the Constitutional court.

Other information

Palais de la Nation,
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

the Palais de Marbre; it houses foreign official guests;
the Domaine de la Rwindi in Goma, Nord-Kivu;

Contents

Election

Requirements

Succession

Other information

See also

Historical Leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

External links

Presidential powers

Election

Requirements

Succession

Other information

See also

Historical Leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

External links