Democratic Republic of the Congo: The Transitional Constitution of April 1, 2003

The institutional components of the Democratic Republic of Congo's Transitional Constitution are examined. An overview of the cultural, historical, & political context that necessitated the formation of the Transitional Constitution is presented, eg, the division of authority between different military forces supported by the Congolese state, Rwanda, & Uganda. After discussing the general provisions of the Transitional Constitution, detailed attention is dedicated to examining the powers of the executive, judicial, & legislative branches; the authority possessed by national security forces; & the timetable for achieving the constitutional transition. Despite the relatively short timeframe for implementing the Transitional Constitution, it is concluded that the nations constitutional transition remains promising since the principles of institutional power-sharing carefully considered the country's cultural-political context & various interest of major actors & political parties. J. W. Parker