DRC: Second Republic: 1965 - 1990 (continued)

Following the constitutional review of 1974 the merger of the MPR the State was completed. Legislative elections were held in November 1975. The electoral process consisted of assembling the electorate, without prior registration, in public places where candidates were presented and elected for a five-year term through acclamation (Answers.com 2005). Gregory Mtembu-Salter (2002, 235) observes:

The Constitution was amended so that the government, the legislature and the judiciary all became institutions of the MPR, and all citizens became party members".

By late 1975 the full effects of economic decline and social misery wrought by Zaïrianization were evident and it was clear that the policy was a total failure. The effects of the policies had been compounded by the 1974 general slump in commodity prices leading to a decline in export earnings. Simultaneously a sharp rise in the price of oil resulted in a rise in import and production costs. Expropriated foreign businesses owners were offered a return of 60% of equity if they would restart their enterprises again, but few were willing to do so (Library of Congress 1993d).

Mobutu's military ventures in Angola in support of the FNLA against the MPLA in 1974 were economically expensive and the crushing defeat suffered by the national army at the hands of the Cubans brought its effectiveness into question. This sense of the state's weakness, combined with the widespread economic pain experienced in virtually every sector and level of society, led to renewed unrest in the country. Riots and student demonstrations were complemented by insurgent invasions (Library of Congress 1993e).

In March 1977 Front Libération Nationale du Congo (FNLC) troops invaded Shaba (formerly Katanga) Province from Angola. After a poor performance by the national army the revolt was suppressed only with the aid of Moroccan and French troops. The brutality of the government troops, on reoccupying the province, provoked a mass exodus of refugees to northern Angola, providing a new pool of recruits for the retreating FNLC (Library of Congress 1993e, Answers.com 2005).

Presidential and parliamentary elections, during which the principle of a secret ballot was restored and the scrutiny of MPR structures over MP candidates was made less restrictive, were organized in 1977. Mobutu was re-elected president unchallenged once more; he was the only contender who could possible comply with the absurd criteria he laid down for candidates.

In May 1978 the FNLC reinvaded Shaba and once more the government troops put up little resistance. The FNLC advanced rapidly, but the discipline of the FNLC troops was no better than that of the government's troops. Law and order broke down totally as they and their civilian camp-followers went on a murder and looting spree. Once more Mobutu had to rely on foreign (French and Belgian) aid to suppress the rebellion. Once more large numbers of civilians joined with the retreating FNLC (Library of Congress 1993e, Answers.com 2005).

The 1982 legislative elections were different from previous ones in that more than one candidate was allowed to stand for any particular seat. The candidates had to be approved by the MPR structures after thorough scrutiny. The measure of public dissatisfaction with the government was indicated by the unseating of 75% of incumbent MPs in these elections. Mobutu was once more re-elected president, still without any opposition, in July 1984 (Country Watch 1998).

In November 1984 and again in 1985 short-lived FNLC guerrilla occupations of Moba in Shaba took place. The last parliamentary elections of the Mobutu era took place in September 1987.

In February 1989 student demonstrations occurred in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi which resulted in violent clashes with armed police. In 1989 the country defaulted on a loan from Belgium, resulting in the cancellation of development programs and increased deterioration of the economy (Mthembu-Salter 2002, Answers.com 2005).

The Third Republic was proclaimed by Mobutu in April 1990. He stood down as president and as leader of the MPR. The single-party system was abolished, a transitional government announced and an undertaking made to hold multiparty elections the following year (Answers.com 2005).

References

ANSWERS.COM 2005 "Democratic Republic of the Congo", [www] http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery;jsessionid=16o66sa9kiwtz?tname=congo-country- zaire&curtab=2222_1&hl=congo&hl=country&hl=zaire&sbid=lc02a [opens new window] (accessed 22 Oct 2007).

COUNTRY WATCH 1998 "Country Information for the Congo (DRC)", [www] http://www.countrywatch.com/mi_topic.asp?vCOUNTRY=40& SECTION=COVER&TOPIC=POHIS&TYPE=TEXT (page off-line 22 Oct 2007).

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 1993d "Zairianization, radicalization, and retrocession" IN Country Studies, [www] http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+zr0044) [opens new window] (accessed 22 Oct 2007).

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 1993e "External threats to regime stability" IN Country Studies, [www] http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+zr0045) [opens new window] (accessed 22 Oct 2007).

MTHEMBU-SALTER, G 2002 "Recent History", IN Murison, K (ed), Africa South of the Sahara 2002, Europa Publications.