Submit this form
Home News Videos Music Photos Facebook Twitter Friends Newsletter Podcasts Mobile RSS
Kabila Confident He Will Win Re-Election

Congo News Agency - October 18, 2011
Joseph Kabila holds rare news conference
With only 6 weeks left before presidential and parliamentary elections, President Kabila, at a wide-ranging news conference on Tuesday, said that he is confident he will win re-election in November.

“I know one thing for sure, I will not lose,” Mr. Kabila replied when asked if he thinks there is a candidate who could beat him.

Using humor to address the failure of opposition parties to name a joint candidate for the one-round presidential election, he said that his opponents were welcome to come to him for help. "They can call me, I'm a good mediator. United or not, the opposition will lose.”

Mr. Kabila said that there was no need to doubt that the elections will take place on November 28 because the Independent National Electoral Commission has repeatedly said it will be ready on time.

The president said that there are no ongoing discussions between him and the opposition, or the civil society, on forming a transitional government in case the elections were not held in the period allowed by the Constitution.

He reminded reporters that even in 2006 there were those who said that the Democratic Republic of Congo, after years of wars that resulted in a transitional government, was not ready to hold its first democratic elections in 40 years.

“The Congolese people deserve better, they deserve stability. If the INEC says it will be ready on November 28, then let’s go, let’s hold the elections. That doesn’t mean that we can’t have a dialogue on how to hold peaceful elections.”, Mr. Kabila said.

Asked if he will run again in 2016, the president said that the Constitution only allows for two terms in office.

Reporters used the nearly three-hour news conference, a rare event for a president who barely talks to the press, to ask questions on a host of issues.

The president said that there are ongoing contacts with the rebel FDLR for its members to disarm and be repatriated to Rwanda and not for their relocation to Maniema Province as some reports have suggested.

Mr. Kabila said that the position of the Congolese government remains that Rwanda should extradite former warlord Laurent Nkunda so he can face justice in DR Congo.

Regarding the case of former CNDP commander Bosco Ntaganda, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court and said to be roaming freely in North Kivu Province, the president said that peace trumpets all other considerations.

President Kabila said that he was surprised that so much was made of his claim that judges make 1,600$ during a speech he gave last month touting his record. Arguing that the focus on the claim was misguided, he said that the government set the judges’ salary at 1,600$ in 2010 but there had been problems in the implementation of the decision. He added that judges should earn even more as the country’s economy improves.

Mr. Kabila said that some of his critics fail to mention that the country’s problems did not start when he came to power in January 2001. He said that a lot has been accomplished since then.

The president said that the government is working on improving the social conditions of the population, the health and education sectors, the business climate, and routing out corruption. He reminded his audience that work on his flagship infrastructure and modernization plan, known as the 5 Chantiers, only began in late 2008.

President Kabila argued that his record should not only be viewed in light of where the country is now but also where it was when he came to power.

“We lost 40 years. We are now trying to catch up,”


On the web: Congo News Agency | Source: presidentrdc.cd

GuestMay 25, 2012 10:07
Why don't you ask Kabila to tell us how much he has made since he took office?

Related articles


  1. DR Congo Citizens Head to Polls to Elect President, Members of Parliament (December 20, 2023)
  2. Ebola outbreak declared an international Public Health Emergency (July 17, 2019)
  3. Felix Tshisekedi Sworn In as DR Congo President (January 24, 2019)
  4. Constitutional Court Declares Tshisekedi Winner of Presidential Election (January 19, 2019)
  5. Martin Fayulu Challenges Presidential Election Results in Court (January 12, 2019)
  6. Felix Tshisekedi Vows to Be the President of All Congolese (January 10, 2019)
  7. Martin Fayulu Rejects Presidential Election Results (January 10, 2019)
  8. Felix Tshisekedi Elected DR Congo President (January 10, 2019)
  9. DR Congo Delays Results of December Election (January 6, 2019)
  10. Bemba, Katumbi renew their support for joint opposition presidential candidate Fayulu (November 16, 2018)
  11. Vital Kamerhe also withdraws support for joint opposition presidential bid (November 12, 2018)
  12. Felix Tshisekedi withdraws support for joint opposition presidential bid (November 12, 2018)
  13. Jean-Pierre Bemba banned from running for president (August 25, 2018)
  14. Vital Kamerhe named UNC presidential candidate (August 4, 2018)
  15. Bemba says Katumbi should be allowed to run for president (August 4, 2018)
  16. Moise Katumbi blocked from entering DR Congo (August 3, 2018)
  17. Jean-Pierre Bemba Returns to DR Congo (August 1, 2018)
  18. Jean-Pierre Bemba named MLC presidential candidate (July 13, 2018)
  19. Botswana Urges Joseph Kabila to Step Down (February 26, 2018)
  20. No elections in DR Congo in December without electronic voting machines: INEC (February 13, 2018)
  21. US Warns DR Congo Against Electronic Voting for Delayed Election (February 12, 2018)
  22. Presidential election scheduled for December 23, 2018 (November 5, 2017)
  23. Felix Tshisekedi accuses INEC of illegally prolonging Kabila's mandate (October 24, 2017)
  24. DRC Seeks Arrest of Presidential Candidate Moise Katumbi (May 19, 2016)
  25. Papa Wemba Is Buried in Kinshasa (May 4, 2016)
  26. Papa Wemba Awarded Highest National Honor as Thousands Pay Tribute (May 2, 2016)
  27. Peacekeepers, Congo Army to Resume Joint Fight Against Rwandan Rebels (January 28, 2016)
  28. Political tensions 'running high' in DR Congo ahead of 2016 elections (October 7, 2015)
  29. Rights Groups: DR Congo Must Free Pro-democracy Activists (April 13, 2015)
  30. DRC Army Putting Pressure on FDLR (April 1, 2015)


Live TV Congo Radio en ligne Radio
Available on App Store
Get it on Google Play



Contact Us | About Us | Édition en Français | French Edition

© CongoPlanet.com. All rights reserved.