Facing criticism over alleged constitutional manipulation to mask governance failures, First Vice President of the National Assembly Jean-Claude Tshilumbayi delivered a comprehensive rebuttal on Friday evening during a live Space X session hosted by Stanis Bujakera Tshiamala. He presented what he described as the Democratic Republic of Congo’s remarkable achievements under President Félix Tshisekedi’s administration since 2019.

On the social front, Tshilumbayi highlighted the government’s free education initiative, which he credited with bringing 6 million children back to school, along with free maternal healthcare for 2.5 million Congolese women.

Regarding the civil service, he revealed that the UDPS inherited in 2018 one million civil servants without matriculation numbers or salaries, recruited during Shadary’s electoral campaign, plus 400,000 “new units” that had received no payments for years. “We have paid all of them,” he asserted.

The healthcare sector showed equally impressive improvements: the country went from just 1,700 doctors earning $300 monthly to 7,800 doctors now earning $2,400. Judges’ salaries rose from $400 to higher levels, while police officers’ monthly pay increased from a mere $80.

Infrastructure development featured prominently in the assessment, with claims of constructing world-class universities, seven major hospitals including the long-abandoned Mama Yemo Hospital (since 1917), 1,500 schools, and expanding the road network from 3,000 to 9,000 kilometers over seven years.

The national budget reportedly ballooned from $3 billion to $18 billion during this period, accompanied by what Tshilumbayi described as a dramatic increase in foreign exchange reserves. “To claim we’re discussing constitutional changes to hide governance failures is absurd,” he concluded, questioning: “What other path should our people take to express themselves?”