2006年VOA标准英语-Rival Congolese Camps Build Alliances

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
29 September 2006

Rival camps in the Democratic Republic of Congo's post-war election process are busy building alliances, but fears of more unrest remain.  A second round presidential runoff will take place October 29, along with an election for provincial 1 posts.

-----

Voters getinstructions in Kinshasa   
  
Month-long campaigning has started for the provincial election, while the presidential campaign will have to wait until mid-October to kick off.

But seats are already being counted for the one-round parliamentary election, which took place along with the first round presidential vote in July.

Parties associated with incumbent 2 President Joseph Kabila, the son of the slain 3 former rebel turned president Laurent Desire Kabila, say they have more than half the 500 seats.

Joseph Kabila leads in East DRC  
  
Armand Kasongo is a member of the coalition 4 backing the pro-presidential party, known as the AMP. He says more and more parties are joining Mr. Kabila's camp.

"So far AMP is still open," he said.  "So we expect more and more people joining us. So we are quite sure and we expect and we are convinced that before the settlement of the new assembly we should maybe reach more than 350 members."

Kasongo says he hopes this will translate into a landslide 5 win for Mr. Kabila in the second round.  Mr. Kabila, who won 40 percent of the vote in July, will face former rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, who won 20 percent, mainly from western areas.

"We will have the opportunity to rule this country and bring lasting 6 peace and economic development in this country," he added.

 
Jean-Pierre Bemba waves to a crowd gathered outside his house in Kinshasa
  
But Mr. Bemba, who is a vice 7 president in the current power sharing government, is also trying to build alliances.

He has secured support from part of the main civilian 8 opposition 9 party known as the UDPS, which has strong support in central regions.  That party is officially boycotting 10 the process, saying it is not free and fair.

But some party leaders, like Gaston Dindon, now say they back Mr. Bemba.

"Kabila and his party have done everything to put us out of this process," he said.  "That is why the UDPS cannot support a Kabila candidacy.  Now we are listening to how people, militants 11 and all the people in Congo who would like the UDPS position to support one of the two candidates and most of the people want to support Jean-Pierre Bemba."

Looting, rioting, fire fights and dead bodies lying in streets have marred 12 the election process. The head of a European rapid reaction force is warning the situation remains 13 very unstable 14, despite promises from the two candidates to reduce violence.

The force known as EUFOR is due to leave Congo in December, just days after results are scheduled to be announced, leaving security to the large U.N. peacekeeping force and a newly-trained police. These have often been unable to contain outbreaks of violence.

About half the fighters from Congo's most recent war remain armed.