DR Congo President Tshisekedi says he plans new coalition

DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi said he planned to form a new coalition government and warned if he could not, he may dissolve parliament and hold fresh elections.

Sunday's announcement comes after the failure of a coalition with supporters of predecessor Joseph Kabila who currently wield a majority in parliament.

Tshisekedi came to power in 2019, after a long-delayed election and took over from Kabila, who stepped down after 18 years at the helm. It was the first peaceful transition since independence from Belgium in 1960.

But Tshisekedi's plans for reform were dashed by the need to forge a coalition with the pro-Kabila Common Front for the Congo.

"These consultations also highlighted, by more than an overwhelming majority, the rejection of the coalition between the Common Front for Congo and the Heading for Change," he said on state-owned RTNC television.

Tireless efforts

"This sad conclusion comes after two years of tireless efforts and self-sacrifice to preserve the essentials within the coalition."

He said he decided to name an official known as an "informer" who would be "charged with identifying a new coalition that included an absolute majority of National Assembly members".

Failing that, "I will use constitutional prerogatives I possess to come back to you, a sovereign people, and ask for a majority", something that would involve anticipated general elections.

Tshisekedi said he had spent a month consulting with political parties and prominent figures and that an overwhelming majority rejected a coalition that included the FCC and his Cap for Change (Cach) party.

"I noted that we need to put an end to the Cach-FCC coalition, which is seen as the main reason for the current blockage," the president said.