Is Congo's Political Opposition Lacking A "win-win Strategy"?

By Author: Kirsten Gross
Total Articles: 91
Comment this article

What's a Win-Win Strategy?
In conflict resolution, a win-win strategy is a resolution process that aims to accommodate all disputants. Win-Win is where both parties win as successful negotiators. That is both parties must agree on a starter point and to come to a conclusion where they will both accept the final outcome and be happy with it.

Revision of the electoral Law
Let's make a quick revision of the events. Lately, the Congolese constitution was revised, which resulted in an alteration of the electoral law. The new electoral law eliminates the run-off system and allowing the candidate with the most votes (a plurality) to win the presidency.

We found some comments following the days after the passage of the Congolese new electoral law.

"Over 200 opposition members ultimately walked out of the session in protest of the day's proceedings."

"Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo noted that a president elected with only 20 percent of the votes would not be at all representative of all Congolese people."

"This year's elections are estimated to cost roughly ...
... $700 million in contrast to those of 2006, which cost $500 million and were funded with over 90 percent contribution from the international community. Thus far, the international community has only donated $90 million to the 2011 process" stated Lambert Mende.

All three statements are valid

I. The move to alter the electoral law almost 1 year before the election was wrong and very bad for Congo. It could have been done 3 to 4 years earlier in order for all parties to formulate different winning strategies. The protesters were correct. This was a legal coup d'etat taking place.

II. Laurent Monsengwo assumption that Congo may end up with a President who is elected with 20% and such a President will not represent all the people is also correct. What if the President wins with 40%of the majority of votes? Is he considered a legitimate representative of the people's will?

III. Two rounds of election will be ideal and great for Congo. Paying $700 million isn't too great and very foolish for a country like DRC. A $700 million price tag will only make sense if the election is being paid by the international community.

Now! We have all had all our share of rages about this law and the 2011 election will indeed take place. The opposition parties supposedly had a plan to win the election. That plan was to secure a unique candidate to represent the entire opposition. In other words, all opposition leaders agreed that presenting multiple opposition candidates might guarantee a win for Kabila. This is a good strategy for the opposition and the Congo in general as it answers some of the original concerns such as the one stated by Laurent Monsengwo and Lambert Mende.

Hold on! It's a complicated affair.
The election will indeed take place on November 28th, 2011. We are 45 days away and the opposition still doesn't have a unique presidential candidate. Instead, we have 10 individuals badly divided. That is a great recipe for disaster, which will definitely end up into a blaming game. Making tough political concessions and align behind one candidate is indeed doing great service to the people of Congo. If you support the opposition, then you must recognize that there is something substantially wrong in this approach. Congo's opposition is lacking the means for a Win-Win strategy.

Loleka mission is for Congolese people to judge candidates by their merits and what they bring on the table to resolve Congo's issues. We are an intellectual democratic platform dedicated to elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo and we present you the political candidates.