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2006-09-09 Africa Subsaharan
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Kabila wins Congo parliament vote, lacks majority
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 KINSHASA - A coalition backing President Joseph Kabila won the largest number of seats in Congos July 30 parliamentary elections but fell short of an overall majority, according to results from electoral authorities on Friday.
Kabilas Alliance for the Presidential Majority (AMP) won around 200 of the 500 parliamentary seats, or roughly 40 percent, but would still need support from independent parties to name a prime minister for the vast central African state. Kabilas rival in a presidential run-off scheduled for Oct. 29, Jean-Pierre Bemba, and his Rally of Congolese Nationalists (RENACO) won more than 80 seats, according to Reuters calculations. Veteran opposition politician Antoine Gizengas PALU party came third in the parliamentary polls, with 34 seats, emerging as a potential kingmaker.
We lack only a very few votes to assemble a parliamentary majority, senior AMP member Lambert Mende told U.N. radio Okapi. We are working actively to make contact with the new deputies, both political parties and individuals.
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The legislative results followed broadly the same pattern as the presidential first-round ballot, held on the same day, where Kabila won 45 percent and Bemba 20 percent.
The parliament is due to sit in two weeks. If no group is able to name a prime minister, the president can appoint an individual with a 30-day mandate, renewable once, to head negotiations with parties.
Jason Stearns, senior analyst at International Crisis Group, said one of the first tasks which the new parliament should undertake was to pass a law of political opposition, giving opposition parties state funding and a voice on parliamentary commissions as stated by the constitution. There is no tradition of political opposition in Congo. Very few parties would choose opposition versus the chance of a ministerial post, he said. 
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Posted by Steve White 2006-09-09 00:00||
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