Union for the Nation (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Encyclopedia
The Union for the Nation is a Congolese electoral bloc formed by over 50 opposition supporters of Jean-Pierre Bemba
, who was the major candidate in the 2006 presidential election and succeeding run-off
against Joseph Kabila
and is now a member of the Senate
.
It was originally constituted as the Group of Congolese Nationalists for Bemba's presidential candidacy. After Bemba lost the election, RENACO was re-constituted as the Union for the Nation with a more specific focus on nationalism and populism. It is a minority bloc in both the Senate (with 21 out of 108 seats) and National Assembly (with 116 out of 500 seats), only holds 1 governorship (in Équateur
, Bemba's home province) and competes with the Alliance of the Presidential Majority
, which is a majority bloc that supports Kabila.
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...
, who was the major candidate in the 2006 presidential election and succeeding run-off
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...
against 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 is now a member of the Senate
Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.During the transition period in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Senate, aside from its Legislative role, also had the task of drafting the country's new constitution...
.
It was originally constituted as the Group of Congolese Nationalists for Bemba's presidential candidacy. After Bemba lost the election, RENACO was re-constituted as the Union for the Nation with a more specific focus on nationalism and populism. It is a minority bloc in both the Senate (with 21 out of 108 seats) and National Assembly (with 116 out of 500 seats), only holds 1 governorship (in Équateur
Équateur
Équateur is one of the ten provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is in the north of the country, and bordered the Republic of the Congo to the west, the Central African Republic to the north, to the east the Orientale province, and to the south the Kasai-Oriental, Kasai-Occidental, and...
, Bemba's home province) and competes with the Alliance of the Presidential Majority
Alliance of the Presidential Majority
The Alliance of the Presidential Majority is a political alliance formed by supporters of President-elect Joseph Kabila following the 2006 general elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This bloc currently holds the majority of seats in the National Assembly with 332 out of 500...
, which is a majority bloc that supports Kabila.
Member parties
- Movement for the Liberation of CongoMovement for the Liberation of CongoThe 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...
- Union for Congo's Reconstruction, led by Dr. Oscar KashalaOscar Kashala LukumuendaDr. Oscar Lukumuena Kashala is a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and was a candidate in the 2006 presidential election.Doctor Kashala is a graduate of Harvard University and has held senior executive positions in the pharmaceutical industry. He previously took a leave of absence...