The Congo: Fight for a Leopard-Skin Chair

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Elegantly suited and vested, Premier-Designate Evariste Kimba sat on the front bench of the crowded Chamber of Deputies and tried to look confident. Three rows back, his predecessor, Moise Tshombe, tapped his foot nervously. As the Congolese Parliament met in joint session last week, about the only empty seat in the Palais de la Nation was the leopard-skin presidential chair itself: President Joseph Kasavubu, who could not vote anyway, had gone off to attend a memorial service for the nation's civil war dead.

Ostensible purpose of the session was a confidence vote on Kimba and his Cabinet, which had been installed last month after Kasavubu fired Tshombe. But even more was at stake. With Parliament and the 21 provincial legislatures due to elect a new President this winter, the vote was the first test of strength between Kasavubu, who wanted badly to be reelected, and Tshombe, his only serious rival for the job. Honoring Congolese political tradition, both sides had spent huge sums to win votes and influence legislators—some of whom reportedly were offered more than $15,000 for their allegiance.

It was just as well for Kasavubu that he was not on hand. By the time the final name on the roll (Senator Emile Zola from Kongo Central) was called, Parliament had thrown out his handpicked Kimba regime by a vote of 134 to 121 and handed Tshombe a narrow but satisfying victory. It was, however, only the first round. Kasavubu immediately asked Kimba to form another Cabinet, which under the constitution gave the defeated Premier another 30 days of grace before Tshombe could mount a new challenge in Parliament.