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List of political parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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This is a list of notable political parties and alliances in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, both past and present. The country has a multi-party political system: one in which the number of competing political parties is sufficiently large as to make it almost inevitable that, in order to participate in the exercise of power, any single party must be prepared to negotiate with one or more others with a view to forming electoral alliances and/or coalition agreements.
Many parties in the country are "drawer" or "briefcase" parties, those set up from scratch for electoral purposes, with little to no real presence on the ground. Many lack headquarters, a distinct visual identity, or even an active base of supporters. Since the replacement of the pure proportional representation with a 1% electoral threshold in 2017, these nominal parties have tended to merge into broader political alliances, often incorporating figures from major parties rather than establishing large, unified parties. The more parties an alliance has, the more lists it can field, increasing the likelihood of surpassing the threshold and securing seats. Some of these parties are only made up of immediate family members, represented in a single corner of a city or in a single province.[1]
Some political coalitions, such as the Common Front for Congo, have previously flirted with the idea of transforming itself into a single majority party, with the Moïse Katumbi's political platform, Together for the Republic, merging six of its member political parties and groups into a single political party on 18 December 2019.[1]
In 2014, there were 602 parties registered with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and 910 in 2023, an increase of 51%.[2][3]
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History
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Pre-Mobutu
Under the Belgian Congo, the formation of political organizations was banned. Instead, évolués formed "associations" based primarily on ethnic interest or alumni affiliations.[4] In December 1957, the colonial administration instituted reforms that permitted municipal elections and the formation of political parties. Some Belgian parties attempted to establish branches in the colony, but these were largely ignored by the population in favour of Congolese-initiated groups.[5]
As independence neared, political activity blossomed, leading to the establishment of over 200 political parties, though nationally based parties struggled to remain cohesive due to ethnic divisions and leadership conflicts, causing larger coalitions to fragment. By the 1960 elections, some 250 political parties competed for just 137 seats, dropping down to 233 parties contesting 167 seats in the 1965 elections.[6]
Mobutu era
Following Mobutu's accession to power in the Second Mobutu coup d'état, he founded the Popular Movement of the Revolution (MPR) on 17 April, 1966, later declaring it the supreme organ of state and sole legal party on 23 December 1970, fusing with the government in 1972. Many early political leaders aligned themselves with the new regime, while those who opposed it faced exile or imprisonment.[7]
Facing mounting pressure from both domestic and international actors to introduce democratic reforms, Mobutu announced an end to single-party rule in a speech on April 24, 1990, and resigned as head of the MPR. Various illegal parties, such as the Union for Democracy and Social Progress, declared their intention to register, while prominent politicians left the MPR to establish their own parties. However, on May 3, Mobutu attempted to limit the number of legal parties to just two additional groups, though his decree was widely ignored. After months of public demonstrations, he ultimately conceded on October 6, announcing that there would be no restrictions on political parties. This was formalized on November 25 with the passage of a decree allowing unrestricted party registration.[8]
Post-Mobutu
After the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire toppled the Mobutu regime in May 1997, all political party activity was immediately and indefinitely suspended. In late January 1999, President Laurent-Désiré Kabila lifted the ban on forming new political parties, though he did not address the status of pre-existing parties. The requirements for registering new parties were stringent, demanding organizational and financial prerequisites that posed significant obstacles to prospective parties, with additional restrictions including a ban on affiliations with international organizations. All barriers to party activity were lifted in May 2001, and by the end of that year, more than 150 political parties had reportedly been officially registered.[9]
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Coalitions
Active
Defunct
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Active parties/political groups
Hold national office or elected to parliament
Extra-parliamentary parties/political groups
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Defunct parties/political groups
- Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (Alliance des Forces Démocratiques pour la Liberation du Congo)
- ABAKO
- Association of Indigenous Personnel of the Colony (APIC)
- Center of African Grouping (CEREA)
- Movement for the National Congolese Progress (MPNC)
- African Solidarity Party (PSA)
- People's National Party (PNP)
- Union of Mongo (UNIMO)
References
Works Cited
See also
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