The parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday elected a new speaker in a move that cements President Felix Tshisekedi’s control of the house without elevating a potential rival for the next election.
Christophe Mboso secured 389 of 460 votes to become speaker of the National Assembly, according to UN-run Radio Okapi. Mboso’s win gives Tshisekedi another boost in a power struggle with former president, Joseph Kabila.
Mboso, who has served as a minister several times and been part of multiple parliamentary committees, succeeds Jeanine Mabunda, a Kabila ally, who was impeached in December.
Last week, Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba, another Kabila loyalist, resigned as prime minister of the DRC, following a no-confidence vote in Parliament.
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Mboso switched allegiance from Kabila to Tshisekedi in December and is expected to be more helpful to President Tshisekedi’s agenda, which includes addressing armed violence in the mineral-rich east and reforming the judiciary.
Story compiled with assistance from wire reports
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