In a pivotal move towards forming a government five months after a presidential election, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s national assembly has elected Vital Kamerhe as speaker.
This significant vote comes in the wake of a violent attack on Kamerhe’s home on Sunday.
Kamerhe, a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi, now holds the position of the second-highest authority in the Central African country.
Out of the 407 members of parliament who participated in the vote on Monday, 371 supported Kamerhe’s candidacy.
The MPs are also set to vote on six other positions within the lower house.
This election paves the way for the naming of a new government, a step that has been pending since the December 2023 presidential election, which secured Tshisekedi a second term. On April 1, Tshisekedi appointed Judith Suminwa as Congo’s first female prime minister.
Originally scheduled for May 18, the vote was delayed by Tshisekedi.
A day later, Congolese security forces reported thwarting an attempted coup and repelling an attack on Kamerhe’s home in central Kinshasa, resulting in the death of two guards, according to Kamerhe’s spokesman, Michel Moto Muhima.
Tshisekedi’s coalition, the Sacred Union, holds a substantial majority in parliament, controlling at least 90% of the 500 seats.
Kamerhe, 65, has a history of close collaboration with Tshisekedi, having campaigned with him in the 2018 presidential election.
He has previously served as Tshisekedi’s chief of staff and as deputy prime minister of the economy, though his career was marred by a 2020 arrest during a corruption investigation.
