By Badylon Kawanda Bakiman
The new government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), unveiled on May 29, 2024, now has 55 members, including 17 women ministers and the Prime Minister herself. This makes a total of 18 women, a percentage of 32.7%. This is the first time in the country’s history that more than 30 percent of the members of a national or provincial government are women.
The new government was unveiled six months after the re-election of Felix-Antoine Rshisekedi Tshilombo as President of the Republic for a second five-year term.
Notable changes include Christophe Lutundula (Foreign Affairs), Peter Kazadi (Interior) and Nicolas Kazadi (Finance) leaving the government. They are replaced by Thérèse Kayikwamba (Foreign Affairs), Jacquemain Shabani (Interior) and Doudou Fwamba (Finance).
Two ministers were reappointed. Eve Bazaïba remains at Environment and Patrick Muyaya as Minister of Communication and Government Spokesman.
This government has only one permutation. Jean-Pierre Bemba moves from Defense to Transport.
First contact meeting
The first meeting of the new government took place on Tuesday June 04, 2024. The government team met for the very first time around the Prime Minister, Judith Suminwa Tuluka. The meeting, which took place at the Government Building in the early afternoon, lasted less than an hour, to get straight to the point.
The Head of Government, who has already been ready with her program for several days, wanted to use this meeting to bring her entire team up to speed, before presenting the said program to the National Assembly to seek the approval of the people’s elected representatives.
Article 90 paragraphs 4 and 5 of the Constitution of February 18, 2006 stipulates that before taking office, the Prime Minister presents the Government’s program to the National Assembly. When this program is approved by an absolute majority of the members of the National Assembly, the latter invests the Government.
Last Monday, the President of the Republic met the President of the National Assembly to discuss the same issue. For the latter, the investiture of the Government.
