Political parties in DRC fail to agree over the nomination of a prime minister

The specific implementation of a deal signed on New year’s eve by political parties in the Democratic Republic of Congo,failed to materialize on Saturday, as the parties involved could not agree on the method of appointing a prime minister.

Among the issues raising contention is that while the government insists the opposition should present five options the opposition however wants to present only a single candidate.

Additionally, while a majority of government members want Congo’s Catholic church to stop mediation as soon the deal is signed unless otherwise mandated by president Kabila, the opposition is against the move and says that the mediators should stay in the process until the agreement is fully implemented.

According to the VOA French service, Bishop Marcel Usembi, President of Congo’s Catholic Bishops Conference, who has been mediating in the negotiations said that the signature will only appended at a later date.

Experts say that even if the two sides agree on a new government, the likelihood of organizing nation wide polls by the end of the year will be difficult, as the new government would need to muster quick international support to fund elections which the president of the electoral commission estimated that will cost $1.8 billion.