The inaugural plenary session scheduled for Monday, February 5 at the Provincial Assembly of Kinshasa (APK) was aborted due to the administrative staff's strike, according to witnesses.

Already on Saturday, February 3, the administrative staff of the deliberative body had shown their intentions. They wrote in a statement: "The administrative staff of the APK informs the national and provincial public that they are unable to welcome the new elected officials and to organize the inaugural plenary session, at the end of which the provisional office is to be installed. All the offices of this deliberative body will remain closed until further notice."

Sources close to the provincial executive of Kinshasa have indicated that the members of the administrative staff of this deliberative body have accrued 15 months of unpaid salaries.

Boni Tsala