Press review of May 3, 2024
The newspapers published this Friday, May 3, return to the controversy surrounding the vehicles offered to provincial deputies of the presidential majority, a few days before the election of the governor, vice-governor and senators in Kinshasa.
“Corruption scandal in Kinshasa: luxury vehicles offered to provincial deputies”, headlines the newspaper Econews. According to the colleague, large-capacity vehicles intended for the provincial deputies of the capital were discovered in the parking lot of a building in the city center, a few days before the election of the governor and senators of Kinshasa. For Econews, there is no doubt, this is clearly a “corruption operation aimed at influencing the elections”.
This analysis is far from unanimous in the press. The newspaper The Daily brushes aside allegations of corruption and echoes the version of those in power, around what some describe as a “corruption scandal. Le Quotidien headlines: “Jeeps handed over to provincial deputies, the raw truths of Augustin Kabuya”. The Secretary General of the UDPS claimed authorship of the Prado vehicles given to the provincial deputies, writes the colleague. For the leader of the presidential party, these vehicles are not a gift from candidate Daniel Bumba to provincial elected officials, as a form of corruption. According to Augustin Kabuya, these vehicles offered to majority deputies constitute rather an “incentive bonus to encourage the motivation of elected officials, as we experienced during the CAN with the Leopards”, reports Le Quotidien.
The site Mediacongo agrees with the same point and title: “Jeeps handed over to provincial deputies of Kinshasa; It’s not corruption, it’s motivation.” The secretary general of the UDPS admitted, in front of activists of the presidential party and other elected officials, to having distributed jeeps to provincial deputies the day before the election of senators, governors and vice-governors in Kinshasa, we can read on this information site.
This controversy surrounding the vehicles offered to elected representatives of the majority on the eve of these indirect elections is sparking reactions, particularly within civil society. “Governors: the ACAJ scandalized by Kabuya’s remarks justifying the corruption of UDPS deputies”, headlines the information site Ouragan.cd. The Congolese Association for Access to Justice considers that there was indeed corruption among provincial deputies and considers the comments of the secretary general of the UDPS to be inadmissible, reports the colleague. The Congolese Association for Access to Justice (ACAJ) urges the competent authorities to act firmly so that light is shed on this matter, concludes Ouragan.cd.