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Concerned Congolese Displeased With New Government


Citizens of the Republic of Congo have expressed disappointment after President Denis Sassou-Nguesso named his new government following his re-election.

The president abolished the prime minister's position and named 10 new ministers to join his government.

But the concerned citizens accused President Sassou-Nguesso of reneging on his campaign promises by naming what they called former underperforming ministers into the new government.

Leon Mukuri, a Congo-based journalist said that Congolese are expressing frustration over the newly named government.

"The Congolese people think that the cabinet is not a good cabinet because in this cabinet many members (are) old members," Mukuri said.

He said Congolese expected a new set of ministers in the new government.

"They were thinking that the president will have in his cabinet new members… they also think that this is not a cabinet they were expecting," he said.

Mukuri said the concerned citizens are not reposing confidence in the government.

"They are not content that this new government will be a good government," Mukuri said.

President Sassou-Nguesso has been one of the longest serving African heads of state after he came to power through a coup d'état in 1979.

He recently won the July 12 presidential election with over 78 percent of the votes enabling him to serve seven more years as Congo's leader.

Mukuri said there is very little difference between President Nguesso's newly named government and the previous administration.

"No difference because many members of this new government (were) in the last government… 32 members of the new members were in the last government," Mukuri said.

Meanwhile the opposition has dismissed the new government as incapable of solving the challenges facing the suffering masses.

Political analysts say President Sassou-Nguesso abolished the controversial prime minister's position after coming under intense criticism from the opposition.

The opposition contends that the prime minister's position is alien to the constitution.

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