Antoine Gizenga
Encyclopedia
Antoine Gizenga is a Congolese
(DRC) politician who was Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
from December 30, 2006 to 10 October 2008. He is the Secretary-General of the Unified Lumumbist Party (Parti Lumumbiste Unifié, PALU).
Following independence, Gizenga served as Deputy Prime Minister (1960, 1961–62) as well as Prime Minister (1960–1961) and Head of State
(1961) in rebellion. His government at Stanleyville
was recognized by 21 Africa
n, Asia
n and Eastern Europe
an countries in February 1961. He was imprisoned from January 1962 to July 1964 and again from October 1964 to November 1965. He was exile
d from 1965 to 1992.
Gizenga based his platform and political policies on those of Patrice Lumumba
, Prime Minister at the time of independence for whom he served as Deputy Prime Minister and after Lumumba's murder as head of the rebel government. He was the presidential candidate of PALU in the July 2006 election
. According to the provisional election results of 20 August, Gizenga came in third place with 13.06 percent of the vote, after Joseph Kabila
and Jean-Pierre Bemba
. On September 30, 2006, Gizenga signed a coalition agreement with the AMP, Kabila's platform, whereby he would back Kabila in the second round of the presidential election in October 2006, in exchange for the premiership. Kabila won the election and was sworn in as President on December 6, 2006. He subsequently appointed Gizenga as Informant, a position that involves identifying a parliamentary majority so that a government can be formed, and then appointed Gizenga as Prime Minister on December 30, 2006. Gizenga's new government, with 59 members (excluding himself), was appointed and announced on February 5, 2007. A new government under Gizenga was announced on November 25, 2007, with its size reduced to 44 ministers.
Gizenga delegated his duties as Secretary-General of PALU to Remy Mayele on September 14, 2007.
On September 25, 2008, Gizenga submitted his resignation as Prime Minister to Kabila. Later in the day he announced this on television, saying that he decided to resign due to his advanced age. According to Gizenga, he felt unable to continue in office: "For every man, even if you are sane and alert, your body has limits which you have to recognise". He had not received a response from Kabila at that point. Reacting to the news, the opposition Movement for the Liberation of Congo
(MLC) said that Gizenga's "resignation constitutes an admission of failure and negligence from a government which, after nearly two years, left the country in a general state of crisis". The MLC disputed Gizenga's statement that his resignation was related to age and health. Kabila reportedly "officially acknowledged" Gizenga's resignation in a letter sent to Gizenga on September 28. The governing coalition, the Alliance for the Presidential Majority, remained in place after Gizenga's resignation, and negotiations were held regarding the selection of a successor to Gizenga.
His successor, Adolphe Muzito
, was appointed by Kabila on 10 October 2008; Muzito is also a member of PALU and was Minister of the Budget in Gizenga's government. Gizenga promptly resumed his duties as Secretary-General of PALU on 13 October 2008, 13 months after delegating them to Remy Mayele.
On 30 June 2009, it was announced that Kabila had designated Gizenga as a National Hero, the DRC's highest honor. His admission to the Order of National Heroes made him its only living member and entitled him to a "monthly payment equivalent to the earnings of a prime minister, a residence, a garage with six vehicles, a guard including 12 members of the national police".
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
(DRC) politician who was Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , is Congo's Head of Government.-History:The current Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Adolphe Muzito...
from December 30, 2006 to 10 October 2008. He is the Secretary-General of the Unified Lumumbist Party (Parti Lumumbiste Unifié, PALU).
Following independence, Gizenga served as Deputy Prime Minister (1960, 1961–62) as well as Prime Minister (1960–1961) and Head of State
Heads of state of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
This is the list of the Heads of State of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since independence in 1960. The current head of state is President Joseph Kabila, since 26 January 2001.-Heads of State:-Affiliations:...
(1961) in rebellion. His government at Stanleyville
Kisangani
Kisangani is the capital of Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the 3rd largest urbanized city in the country and the largest of the cities that lie in the tropical woodlands of the Congo....
was recognized by 21 Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
an countries in February 1961. He was imprisoned from January 1962 to July 1964 and again from October 1964 to November 1965. He was exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
d from 1965 to 1992.
Gizenga based his platform and political policies on those of Patrice Lumumba
Patrice Lumumba
Patrice Émery Lumumba was a Congolese independence leader and the first legally elected Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo after he helped win its independence from Belgium in June 1960. Only ten weeks later, Lumumba's government was deposed in a coup during the Congo Crisis...
, Prime Minister at the time of independence for whom he served as Deputy Prime Minister and after Lumumba's murder as head of the rebel government. He was the presidential candidate of PALU in the July 2006 election
Democratic Republic of the Congo general election, 2006
General elections were held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on July 30, 2006, the first multiparty elections in the country in 41 years. Voters went to the polls to elect both a new President of the Republic and a new National Assembly, the lower-house of the Parliament.The polls were...
. According to the provisional election results of 20 August, Gizenga came in third place with 13.06 percent of the vote, after Joseph Kabila
Joseph Kabila
Joseph Kabila Kabange is a Congolese politician who has been President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since January 2001. He took office ten days after the assassination of his father, President Laurent-Désiré Kabila...
and Jean-Pierre Bemba
Jean-Pierre Bemba
Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo is a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was one of four vice-presidents in the transitional government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 17 July 2003 to December 2006. Bemba also leads the Movement for the Liberation of Congo , a rebel group...
. On September 30, 2006, Gizenga signed a coalition agreement with the AMP, Kabila's platform, whereby he would back Kabila in the second round of the presidential election in October 2006, in exchange for the premiership. Kabila won the election and was sworn in as President on December 6, 2006. He subsequently appointed Gizenga as Informant, a position that involves identifying a parliamentary majority so that a government can be formed, and then appointed Gizenga as Prime Minister on December 30, 2006. Gizenga's new government, with 59 members (excluding himself), was appointed and announced on February 5, 2007. A new government under Gizenga was announced on November 25, 2007, with its size reduced to 44 ministers.
Gizenga delegated his duties as Secretary-General of PALU to Remy Mayele on September 14, 2007.
On September 25, 2008, Gizenga submitted his resignation as Prime Minister to Kabila. Later in the day he announced this on television, saying that he decided to resign due to his advanced age. According to Gizenga, he felt unable to continue in office: "For every man, even if you are sane and alert, your body has limits which you have to recognise". He had not received a response from Kabila at that point. Reacting to the news, the opposition Movement for the Liberation of Congo
Movement for the Liberation of Congo
The Movement for the Liberation of the Congo is a political party in Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was a rebel group operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo that fought the government throughout the Second Congo War. It subsequently took part in the transitional government and is now...
(MLC) said that Gizenga's "resignation constitutes an admission of failure and negligence from a government which, after nearly two years, left the country in a general state of crisis". The MLC disputed Gizenga's statement that his resignation was related to age and health. Kabila reportedly "officially acknowledged" Gizenga's resignation in a letter sent to Gizenga on September 28. The governing coalition, the Alliance for the Presidential Majority, remained in place after Gizenga's resignation, and negotiations were held regarding the selection of a successor to Gizenga.
His successor, Adolphe Muzito
Adolphe Muzito
Adolphe Muzito is a Congolese politician who has been the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2008. Muzito, a member of the Unified Lumumbist Party , was previously Minister of the Budget under Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga from 2007 to 2008.Muzito, who is from Gungu,...
, was appointed by Kabila on 10 October 2008; Muzito is also a member of PALU and was Minister of the Budget in Gizenga's government. Gizenga promptly resumed his duties as Secretary-General of PALU on 13 October 2008, 13 months after delegating them to Remy Mayele.
On 30 June 2009, it was announced that Kabila had designated Gizenga as a National Hero, the DRC's highest honor. His admission to the Order of National Heroes made him its only living member and entitled him to a "monthly payment equivalent to the earnings of a prime minister, a residence, a garage with six vehicles, a guard including 12 members of the national police".
See also
- Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the CongoPrime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the CongoThe Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , is Congo's Head of Government.-History:The current Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Adolphe Muzito...
- List of Prime ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Government of the Democratic Republic of the CongoGovernment of the Democratic Republic of the CongoThe Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second institution in the central executive branch of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the first institution being the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who has the title of head of state.- Description :Under the...
- Politics of the Democratic Republic of the CongoPolitics of the Democratic Republic of the CongoPolitics of the Democratic Republic of Congo take place in a framework of a republic in transition from a civil war to a semi-presidential democratic republic....
- Antoine Gizenga cabinetAntoine Gizenga cabinetThe Anotoine Gizenga cabinet consisted of the Ministers of State, Ministers and Deputy Ministers appointed by Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Gizenga was Prime Minister from 30 December 2006 to 10 October 2008....