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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Assemblée nationale (National Assembly)

This page contains the full text of the PARLINE database entry on the selected parliamentary chamber, with the exception of Specialized bodies modules which, because of their excessive length, can be only viewed and printed separately.

Modules:
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARLIAMENTARY CHAMBER

Parliament name (generic / translated) Parliament / Parlement
More photos  >>>
Structure of parliament Bicameral
Chamber name (generic / translated) Assemblée nationale / National Assembly
Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) Sénat / Senate
Affiliation to the IPU Yes
Affiliation date(s) 1963 - 1964
1966 - 1992
1994 - 1997
2004 -
LEADERSHIP
President Aubin Minaku (M) 
Notes Elected on 12 April 2012.
Secretary General Jean Nguvulu Khoji (M) 
Notes Appointed on 8 May 2015.
COMPOSITION
Members (statutory / current number) 500 / 492
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN


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Women (current number) 44 (8.94%)
Mode of designation directly elected 500
Term 5 years
Last renewal dates 28 November 2011
(View details)
CONTACT INFORMATION
Address Assemblée nationale
Palais du Peuple
Coin avenue des Huilerés et boulevard triomphal
Commune de Lingwala
Kinshasa
(Export mailing lists)
Phone (243) 990 90 32 73
897 67 71 84
Fax
E-mail info@assemblee-nationale.cd
Website
http://www.assemblee-nationale.cd/

ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Parliament name (generic / translated) Parliament / Parlement
Structure of parliament Bicameral
Chamber name (generic / translated) Assemblée nationale / National Assembly
Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) Sénat / Senate
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Electoral law 9 March 2006
Loi N° 06/006
Mode of designation directly elected 500
Constituencies - 60 single-member constituencies (majority system)
- 109 multi-member constituencies (proportional representation system)
Voting system Mixed: - Simple majority vote in constituencies with one seat to fill. Voters vote for a single candidate. The candidate with the highest number of votes is elected.
- Proportional representation in constituencies with two or more seats to fill. A proportional vote of open lists with a single preferential vote based on the largest remainder formula.
Each deputy is elected with two substitutes.
Voting is not compulsory.
Voter requirements - age: 18 years old on the date of completion of identity and registration formalities
- Congolese nationality
- residence in the country on election day
CANDIDATES
Eligibility - qualified voters
- age: 25 years on the closing date for the submission of candidatures
- Congolese nationality
- enjoyment of full civil and political rights

Ineligibilities:
- persons deprived of their civil and political rights
- persons tried for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity by an international criminal court
- undischarged bankruptcy
- persons with medically-certified complete mental incapacity during the five years prior to the elections
- civil servants and public administration agents who, by the closing date for the submission of candidatures, have not produced evidence of their request for release from their functions
- management executives of public or semi-public enterprises who, by the closing date for the submission of candidatures, have failed to tender their resignation
- magistrates who, by the closing date for the submission of candidatures, have failed to show that they have tendered their resignation
- members of the army and the Congolese national police service who, by the closing date for the submission of candidatures, have failed to prove that their resignation has been accepted or that they have effectively retired from service
- members of the independent Elections Commission at all levels, including staff
Incompatibilities - members of the Senate
- members of government
- members of a democracy-promoting institution
- members of the armed forced, national police and security services
- magistrates
- career public servants
- local government administration executives holding political-administrative office, with the exception of heads of local authorities, chieftainships and local associations;
- management executives of public enterprises
- members of the President of the Republic's cabinet, the Prime Minister's cabinet, the Speaker of the National Assembly's cabinet, the President of the Senate's cabinet, members of government and generally members of a political or administrative State authority, employees of a public or semi-public enterprise
- holders of any other elected office
- persons discharging functions for which they are remunerated by a foreign State or international body.
Candidacy requirements - payment per candidate or per list of a non-reimbursable deposit of 110,000 Congolese Franc (CDF)

LAST ELECTIONS

Parliament name (generic / translated) Parliament / Parlement
Structure of parliament Bicameral
Chamber name (generic / translated) Assemblée nationale / National Assembly
Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) Sénat / Senate
BACKGROUND
Dates of election / renewal (from/to) 28 November 2011
Timing and scope of renewal Elections were held for all seats in the National Assembly on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.
On 30 April 2011, the Independent National Election Commission (CENI) announced that parliamentary and presidential elections would be held on 28 November.

In the previous elections held in July 2006, the Alliance for the Presidential Majority (AMP) - a coalition led by President Joseph Kabila - took close to 200 seats, including 111 seats won by his People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD). The Union for the Nation (UN) alliance - another coalition led by outgoing Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo - took nearly 100 seats, including 64 won by Mr. Bemba's Congo Liberation Movement (MLC).

In the run-off presidential elections held in October, President Kabila - who has been in power since January 2001 following the assassination of his father (Laurent) - triumphed over Mr. Bemba and was subsequently sworn in in December. Several parties that supported President Kabila in the run-offs subsequently joined the AMP. The latter comprised over 300 members before the newly elected National Assembly convened in late December. The National Assembly subsequently elected Mr. Vital Kamerhe, Secretary General of the PPRD, as its Speaker.

Indirect elections to the 108-member Senate were held in January 2007 and the newly-elected Senate was convened in February. The re-establishment of both chambers of parliament and the formation of a new government marked the end of the political transition process initiated in 2002.

In March 2009, Speaker Kamerhe resigned in protest over a joint DR Congo-Rwandan military operation against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), led by Hutu rebels. The Speaker had reportedly criticized the President for not having informed parliament about the military operation. Mr. Evariste Boshab succeeded him both as PPRD leader and Speaker of the National Assembly in April. Mr. Kamerhe subsequently formed the Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC).

In June 2009, the International Criminal Court in The Hague indicted former Vice-President Bemba for war crimes allegedly committed by his troops in the Central African Republic between 2002 and 2003.

In January 2011, the government proposed to review the electoral system for the presidency so that the President could be elected by a simple majority vote in one round, instead of an absolute majority vote with a possible run-off. Later the same month, the National Assembly and the Senate approved the proposal in a session boycotted by opposition members.

In 2011, over 18,800 candidates were vying for seats in the National Assembly. President Kabila was challenged by 10 other candidates, including veteran politician, Mr. Etienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba, leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) and former Speaker Kamerhe (UNC).

President Kabila's PPRD campaigned under the slogan, "Five building sites of the republic", referring to the government's infrastructure projects of rebuilding roads and power stations. He admitted that economic progress had been slow and urged voters to give him a new mandate to pursue his projects. Speaker Boshab called on voters to come out en masse to re-elect President Kabila. He also called on voters to give the President a parliamentary majority by supporting PPRD candidates and those fielded by other parties in the AMP.

The 78-year old UPDS leader, Tshisekedi, urged voters to support his party, stating he would only feel tired when democracy was established in his country. A former minister under late President Mobutu Sese Seko, Mr. Tshisekedi left the government in 1980 when President Mobutu decided to cancel all elections. Mr. Tshisekedi - Prime Minister between 1992 and 1993 during the Sovereign National Conference - has been a major opposition figure ever since. He boycotted the 2006 elections, having accused the government of election fraud. In 2011, the UPDS denounced fraud and irregularities in voter lists. Mr. Tshisekedi accused the incumbent President of using State funds and staff for his election campaigning. He subsequently asked the CENI to invalidate the President's candidature. The CENI argued that, in the absence of a Constitutional Court, only the High Court of Justice was competent to deal with election-related disputes and sent the UPDS' petition to the High Court of Justice.

Former Speaker Kamerhe's UNC promised to develop the economy, qualifying the country as a "sleeping elephant" that would wake up "just like Brazil".

On 28 November, about 58 per cent of the 32 million registered voters turned out at the polls.

The Carter Center questioned the vote tabulation process, pointing out that some constituencies in Katanga province "reported impossibly high rates of 99 to 100% voter turnout with all, or nearly all, votes going to incumbent President Joseph Kabila". The African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community stated that the polling had been "successful".

On 9 December, the CENI announced that President Kabila was re-elected with 49 per cent of the votes. Mr. Tshisekedi (UPDS), who took 32 per cent of the votes, challenged the results.

On 17 December, the High Court of Justice validated the presidential election results. On 20 December, Mr. Kabila was sworn in for a second elected term.

The publication of parliamentary election results was postponed several times. On 1 February 2012, the CENI finally published preliminary results, which gave 62 seats to the PPDR. Together with other parties in the AMP, the President's camp took 260 seats. Opposition forces took around 110 seats. The UPDS became the largest opposition force with 41 seats and the UNC, 17 seats. In all, 50 women, including President Kabila's twin sister Jaynet, were elected.

On 16 February 2012, the National Assembly held its inaugural session. On 12 April, it elected Mr. Aubin Minaku, Secretary General of the PPDR, as its new Speaker. Mr. Augustin Matata Ponyo (PPDR) was appointed the new Prime Minister.
STATISTICS
Voter turnout
Round no 128 November 2011
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes
32'024'640


Notes
Distribution of votes
Round no 1
Political group Candidates Votes % of votes
Others
People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD)
Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS)
People's Party for Peace and Democracy (PPPD)
Social Movement for Renewal (MSR)
Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC)
Unified Lumumbist Party (PALU)
Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC)
Independents
Alliance for Renewal in Congo (ARC)
Alliance of the Democratic Forces of Congo (AFDC)
Rally for the Reconstruction of Congo (RRC)
Awakening of Consciousness for Work and Development (ECT)
Movement for the Integrity of the People (MIP)
Christian Democratic Party (PDC)
Union for the Development of the Comoros (UPDC)
Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD)- Kisangani-Liberation Movement (K-ML)
National Union of Democratic Federalists (UNADEF)
Union of Nationalist Federalists of Congo (UNAFEC)
Distribution of seats
Round no 1
Political Group Total of seats
Others 172
People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) 62
Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) 41
People's Party for Peace and Democracy (PPPD) 29
Social Movement for Renewal (MSR) 27
Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) 22
Unified Lumumbist Party (PALU) 19
Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC) 17
Independents 16
Alliance for Renewal in Congo (ARC) 16
Alliance of the Democratic Forces of Congo (AFDC) 15
Rally for the Reconstruction of Congo (RRC) 11
Awakening of Consciousness for Work and Development (ECT) 11
Movement for the Integrity of the People (MIP) 10
Christian Democratic Party (PDC) 7
Union for the Development of the Comoros (UPDC) 7
Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD)- Kisangani-Liberation Movement (K-ML) 6
National Union of Democratic Federalists (UNADEF) 6
Union of Nationalist Federalists of Congo (UNAFEC) 6
Distribution of seats according to sex
Men

Women

Percent of women
448

44

8.94%
Distribution of seats according to age
Distribution of seats according to profession
Comments
Sources:
National Assembly (23.03.2012)
http://www.ceni.gouv.cd/
http://www.eueom.eu

Note on the distribution of seats:
A total of 98 political parties and 16 independent candidates won parliamentary representation in 2011.
The election commission published the distribution of seats for the 17 parties which won more than five seats as above.
From the remaining 81 parties, 45 of them won one seat each.

This page was last updated on 9 December 2015
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