The People's Palace, which houses both the Senate and Parliamentary seatings, came to a standstill as former Congolese President Joseph Kabila made his way into the building, to attend the opening of Parliament.
Kabila was attending the session in his capacity as the Senator for life. This marked a very significant step for the country's democracy as it rules out the possibility of Kabila returning in the near future to contest the Presidential Elections.
According to the Congolese Constitution, once the President finishes serving a second term , he/she will step down and automatically becomes a Senator for life .
In recent months there have been speculations that Kabila will make a come back and contest the 2023 elections, such speculations are said to be driven by campaigns from some members of his political party, who fear that their political influence and control is slowly drifting away.
Even though Joseph Kabila's coalition movement, The Common Front for Congo (FCC), holds majority seats in Parliament, they are struggling to push through some of the contentious laws, obstructed by pressure from the current President, Felix Tshisekedi.
Earlier in the year some members of the FCC tried to introduce the law that would have weaken the power of the courts and magistrates, but Tshisekedi made it clear that he would not sign into law such bill.
Tshisekedi is also said to be gunning for FCC members, over allegations of corruption, which was committed when Joseph Kabila was in power.
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