Étienne Tshisekedi
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Étienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba (born 14 December 1932) is a Congolese politician and the National President of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), a political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was Prime Minister of the country (then Zaire) on three brief occasions during the 1990s: in 1991, 1992–1993, and 1997.
Tshisekedi was born in Luluabourg (now Kananga), Kasai-Occidental in 1932. He obtained a diploma in 1961 at the Lovanium University School of Law in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa). He served in Mobutu's government in various positions throughout the late 1960s and 1970s but in 1979 began to protest its descent into dictatorship and corruption. In 1980 he was removed from government and thrown in prison for his criticism. Ever since he has been thrown in and out of prison numerous times by both Mobutu's government and Laurent Kabila's.
On February 15, 1982 he co-founded the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), which he continues to lead. The party remains popular with its main goal being a non-violent change to democratic rule.
With the country in economic turmoil in the early 1990s, in part due to Mobutu's loss of Western support after the Cold War, Mobutu promised a transition to multiparty democracy. During this time, Tshisekedi was appointed as Prime Minister on three separate occasions. The first lasted only one month (September 29, 1991 – November 1, 1991), the second only seven months (August 15, 1992 – March 18, 1993). Both times, Tshisekedi complained that he was prevented from functioning properly by Mobutu. The third term, while Laurent Kabila's rebel forces were marching on Kinshasa, lasted only a week (April 2, 1997 – April 9, 1997) and was again ended by Mobutu's lack of cooperation. A month later Laurent Kabila overthrew Mobutu (see First Congo War). During this time he attempted to negotiate a peace between the government and the rebels. Tshisekedi also criticized Kabila as being a dictator.
Subsequently he criticized the transitional government, in which Tshisekedi was not involved, for its lack of progress and for its decision to delay promised elections. However, in January 2006 he officially ended his two-year boycott of the transitional government, and initially said that he would participate in the national elections scheduled for 29 April 2006, as well as the preceding polls in March. The elections were postponed to 30 July 2006, and Tshisekedi demanded that the voter registration operations' stations be partially reopened, in order for his militants - who had boycotted the registration on his orders - to get a chance to receive election ID cards, and vote. The Independent Electoral Commission denied this request, on account that it was too late in the process. Tshisekedi then reverted to his previous position of boycotting the elections.
In the week leading to the polls, Tshisekedi's numerous militants protested against the polls, by taking-down and destroying all the electoral banners they could reach in Kinshasa, and other cities, prompting intervention by riot police. Many independent observers still consider Tshisekedi the most popular politician in the Congo. At times, he has been called the Mandela of Congo.
At a UPDS congress in April 2009, delegates unanimously affirmed that the party would participate in the 2011 election and that Tshisekedi would be its presidential candidate.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ "Congo-Kinshasa: E. Tshisekedi plébiscité par les congressistes", Le Phare (allAfrica.com), 16 April 2009 (French).
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Mulumba Lukoji Jean Nguza Karl-i-Bond Kengo Wa Dondo |
Prime Minister of Zaïre September 29, 1991 - November 1, 1991 August 15, 1992 - March 18, 1993 April 2, 1997 - April 9, 1997 |
Succeeded by Bernardin Mungul Diaka Faustin Birindwa Likulia Bolongo |
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