Union for Democracy and the Republic (Republic of the Congo)

The Union for Democracy and the Republic (French: Union pour la Démocratie et la République-Mwinda) is a political party in the Republic of the Congo. André Milongo, who was the country's transitional Prime Minister from 1991 to 1992, was the President of the UDR-Mwinda until his death in 2007.[1]

History

The UDR-Mwinda was founded in October 1992.[2] In the 1993 parliamentary election, the UDR-Mwinda won two seats in the National Assembly,[3] including one for Milongo, who was elected as President of the National Assembly.[4] In the parliamentary election held on 26 May and 23 June 2002, the party won 6 out of 137 seats in the National Assembly. In the parliamentary election held on June 24 and August 5, 2007, the UDR-Mwinda won one seat out of 137; it was, along with the Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS), one of two opposition parties represented in the National Assembly.[5]

Following Milongo's death in July 2007, the UDR-Mwinda held a national congress in Brazzaville on April 12–13 2008, pledging to uphold Milongo's political thought. At the congress, Guy Kinfoussia Romain, a retired military officer, was elected as President of the UDR-Mwinda; in addition, a political bureau and a 150-member national council were elected. Romain spoke on this occasion of the party's continuing opposition to the Congolese Party of Labour-led government and said that the UDR-Mwinda wanted "to play a major role within the Alliance for the New Republic", an opposition coalition.[2]

Along with UPADS and the Rally for Democracy and Development (RDD), the UDR-Mwinda formed the Alliance for the New Republic on May 11, 2007.[6] Complaining that the 2007 parliamentary election and the 2008 local elections were "masquerades", this coalition withdrew from participation in national and local electoral commissions in August 2008. It wanted a new and independent electoral commission, in addition to an "all-inclusive national dialogue" prior to the 2009 presidential election.[7]

References

  1. ^ Nella Sowp and Robert Gaillard, "Congo Brazzaville : Décès d'André Milongo Nsatouabantu", Kimpwanza, July 23, 2007 (in French).
  2. ^ a b "Vie des partis : L'UDR-Mwinda se dote de nouvelles instances de direction", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, April 14, 2008 (in French).
  3. ^ IPU PARLINE page on the 1993 parliamentary election Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ^ "Biographie d'André Milongo", lechoc.info (in French). Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "L'alliance présidentielle occupe 125 des 137 sièges parlementaires", Xinhua, August 25, 2007 (in French).
  6. ^ "Trois partis politiques de l'opposition créent l'Alliance pour une nouvelle République", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, May 11, 2007 (in French).
  7. ^ "Three Congolese opposition parties withdraw from electoral commission"[permanent dead link‍], African Press Agency, August 14, 2008.