DR Congo PM Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde Resigns, Presidency Says

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 21 2024

By PATRICK ILUNGA

Congolese Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde resigned on Tuesday, choosing, instead, to focus on parliamentary duties as an elected legislator.

He presented his resignation to Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, according to an official dispatch.

His resignation triggered the dissolution of the entire government. But, President Tshisekedi has asked him to continue managing current affairs, "taking into account the situation in the country and pending the appointment of the new government".

The President has, however, imposed restrictions on Mr Lukonde and his team, including the suspension of service missions, the suspension of financial commitments and the suspension of all recruitment.

Mr Lukonde, 46, was in office for three years. He was appointed on February 15, 2021 to head the government following the break-up of the alliance between the coalition of former President Joseph Kabila and that of Tshisekedi. 

He was elected member of parliament in the elections of December 20, 2023.

It is a legal requirement in the Democratic Republic of Congo that serving ministers are not members of parliament, which means that one has to choose whether to remain a legislator or quit to remain in government.

A total of 39 Congolese government ministers were recently elected members of parliament. They will serve for the next five years. Earlier, the deputy prime minister in charge of the economy and the deputy prime minister in charge of the civil service had already tendered their resignations.

President Tshisekedi is preparing to form a new government to begin his second term.

Nonetheless, some of the resigning ministers will likely be part of the new team, given that they belong to the parliamentary majority, President Tshisekedi's coalition. They will have to resign from their positions as legislators.

Unlike his first term, when he was forced to share power with Kabila's coalition, this time Mr Tshisekedi is not expected to face strong opposition. His majority in parliament is expected to be over 400 of the 500 seats in the national assembly.

His opponent Moise Katumbi's party has barely twenty members, while Kabila's coalition boycotted the elections.

Martin Fayulu, who also boycotted the elections, has no members of parliament. Mr Fayulu had asked his members to boycott the elections. He had to change his decision, but without making up for his delay in the legislative elections.