Samy Badibanga
| Samy Badibanga | |
|---|---|
| Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
|
Assumed office November 17, 2016 |
|
| President | Joseph Kabila |
| Preceded by | Augustin Matata Ponyo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 1962 Kinshasa (Léopoldville), Republic of the Congo |
| Political party | Union for Democracy and Social Progress |
Samy Badibanga (born September 1962) is a Congolese politician who has been Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since November 17, 2016.
Samy Badibanga was born in September 1962 in Kinshasa (Léopoldville), Republic of the Congo.
Badibanga is a member of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress.
Badibanga was closely associated with opposition leader Étienne Tshisekedi prior to the November 2011 presidential election. Tshisekedi, alleging that the official results were fraudulent, ordered the newly elected UDPS deputies, Badibanga among them, to boycott the National Assembly. Badibanga took his seat anyway, becoming President of the UDPS and Allies Parliamentary Group and thereby creating a rift between himself and Tshisekedi.
In October 2016, Badibanga participated in a dialogue between the government and some elements of the opposition regarding the timing of the next election. The dialogue resulted in an agreement for Kabila to remain in office beyond the normal end of his term (December 2016) to allow time for the organization of the next election, which was delayed until April 2018, while also stipulating that a representative of the opposition would serve as Prime Minister during the period leading up to the election.President Joseph Kabila then appointed Badibanga as Prime Minister on November 2016. In doing so, he bypassed a more prominent representative of the opposition who also participated in the dialogue, Vital Kamerhe, contrary to general expectations. More radical elements of the opposition, associated with Étienne Tshisekedi, opposed any deal with the government allowing Kabila to remain in office. Shortly after his appointment, he was accused of being a Congolese-Belgian dual citizen by Olivier Kamitatu, the former president of the National Assembly, which is forbidden in the DRC. On December 19, 2016, he formed his cabinet.
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