Kabila's Protege Pledges Tripling in Congo State Spending

(Bloomberg) -- The ruling coalition’s candidate in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s presidential election pledged to almost triple government spending if he’s elected.

Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, 57, is vying to become leader of the world’s biggest cobalt producer in a vote scheduled for Dec. 23. The former interior minister was handpicked by President Joseph Kabila, who’s stepping aside after 17 years in power.

Shadary proposed “a budget evaluated for the next five years at more or less $86 billion” at his manifesto launch Monday in the capital, Kinshasa. Annual government spending approved by Congo’s cabinet for 2018 and 2019 is about $6 billion.

The extra money will be spent on restoring security, raising civil servants’ salaries, creating jobs and improving basic public services, Shadary said. He also promised to “optimize revenue collection from the exploitation of natural resources” to enable Congo to “substantially” increase spending on education and health.

In addition to its cobalt output, Congo is also Africa’s biggest copper and tin producer, and has deposits of gold, diamonds and tantalum, among other minerals. Companies including Glencore Plc, Randgold Resources Ltd. and China Molybdenum Co. operate in the country.

Divided Opposition

Shadary has held senior posts in government and Kabila’s political party for 20 years, serving first under the current president’s father, Laurent Kabila, who was assassinated in 2001. He is facing a divided opposition, which is likely to field at least two major challengers when campaigning kicks off Nov. 22.

Seven opposition leaders, including four registered to run for the presidency, agreed on Nov. 11 to back Martin Fayulu to maximize their chances of defeating Shadary, but two of them backtracked 24 hours later. Felix Tshisekedi, the head of Congo’s largest opposition party, and Vital Kamerhe, who finished third in the last election in 2011, said their supporters wouldn’t allow them to give way to Fayulu.

Improving security is at the heart of five-year plan. Shadary promised “the total eradication of the seeds of insecurity across the national territory, most particularly in the east of the country, to put an end to terrorism.”
 
Eastern Congo has been blighted by inter-communal violence for more than two decades and an estimated 140 armed groups are currently active in the region. Shadary’s opponents say he represents a continuation of Kabila’s administration, which they blame for failing to effectively end conflicts or even contributing to them. Shadary hailed Kabila as “the architect of Congolese democracy” in his speech.

To contact the reporter on this story: William Clowes in Kinshasa at wclowes@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Antony Sguazzin at asguazzin@bloomberg.net, Paul Richardson, Liezel Hill

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