Provincial cities
The 25 provinces of DR Congo are divided into 33 cities (fr. villes, sing. ville) and 145 territories (fr. territoires, sing. territoire). [1] Each provincial division is also a constituency of the National Assembly as well as of the Provincial Assembly of its province. [2]
Each city is led by a mayor (fr. maire) and is further divided into communes with each commune led by a burgomaster (fr. bourgmestre). [3] Currently mayors, burgomasters, and their deputies are appointed by the government. Elections to bring about elected local government in provincial capitals are scheduled for December 2023—September 2024.
All provincial capitals are, by organic law, cities and do not need to meet the requirement of having a population of at least 100,000. [5]
The Third Republic of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a unitary state with a five-level hierarchy of types of administrative division. There are nine different types of country subdivision in a new hierarchy with no new types but with two from the previous one abolished.
The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The senate was established in 1960, abolished in 1967 and re-established in 2003.
The communes of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are administrative divisions of both cities and territories. They are led by government appointed burgomasters and are further divided into quarters and embedded groupings.
The territories of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are administrative divisions of provinces. Territories are further divided into sectors, chiefdoms, and communes. They are led by an administrator and, for the most part, take the name of the town that is their administrative center.
The Provincial Assembly of the City-province of Kinshasa is the legislative body of the City-province of Kinshasa. Godefroid Mpoy Kadima is the speaker of the provincial assembly.
Lemba is one of the 24 communes that are the administrative divisions of Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Limete is one of the 24 communes that are the administrative divisions of Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Matete is one of the 24 communes that are the administrative divisions of Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Kanyabayonga is a town straddling the Lubero and Rutshuru territories of North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Administratively, the part which is in Lubero is the commune of Kanyabayonga and, the part in Rutshuru belongs to the Kanyabayonga groupement (grouping) which extends well south of the town and is within the Bwito chiefdom. The region as a whole has seen much armed conflict since 1993.
Mont Amba is an area of the capital city of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, comprising five of the city-province's twenty-four administrative divisions—the communes of Kisenso, Lemba, Limete, Matete and Ngaba. It is one of the four so-called districts of Kinshasa. These were the administrative divisions of Kinshasa during much of the Mobutu years (1965-1997) and around which a number of government systems and services are still organized. For instance, Mont Amba makes up an eleven-member National Assembly constituency designated as Kinshasa III. However, these districts are not part of Congo's territorial organization.
Tshangu is an area of the capital city of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, comprising five of the city-province's twenty-four administrative divisions—the communes of Kimbanseke, Maluku, Masina, Ndjili and Nsele. It is one of the four so-called districts of Kinshasa. These were the administrative divisions of Kinshasa during much of the Mobutu years (1965-1997) and around which a number of government systems and services are still organized. For instance, Tshangu makes up an eighteen-member National Assembly constituency designated as Kinshasa IV. However, these districts are not part of Congo's territorial organization.
Lukunga is an area of the capital city of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, comprising seven of the city-province's twenty-four administrative divisions—the communes of Barumbu, Gombe, Kinshasa, Kintambo, Lingwala, Mont Ngafula and Ngaliema. It is one of the four so-called districts of Kinshasa. These were the administrative divisions of Kinshasa during much of the Mobutu years (1965-1997) and around which a number of government systems and services are still organized. For instance, Lukunga makes up a fourteen-member National Assembly constituency designated as Kinshasa I. However, these districts are not part of Congo's territorial organization.
Funa is an area of the capital city of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, comprising seven of the city-province's twenty-four administrative divisions—the communes of Bandalungwa, Bumbu, Kalamu, Kasa-Vubu, Makala, Ngiri-Ngiri and Selembao. It is one of the four so-called districts of Kinshasa. These were the administrative divisions of Kinshasa during much of the Mobutu years (1965-1997) and around which a number of government systems and services are still organized. For instance, Funa makes up a twelve-member National Assembly constituency designated as Kinshasa II. However, these districts are not part of Congo's territorial organization.
The Ministry of the Interior and Security is a branch of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo entrusted with upholding internal security, law enforcement, and administrative affairs within the country.
Gubernatorial elections took place in 11 out of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 26 August 2017, with a second round held in three provinces on August 29. Elections in three other provinces were not held until 21 December 2017. The elections occurred after several governors had been dismissed. Applications of potential candidates were submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission from 21 to 25 July 2017, with a period for the review of the applications from 26 to 30 July. On August 2, the list of candidates was published and the following two days were granted for any appeals. More than half of the provinces were won by candidates of the Alliance of the Presidential Majority, though some went to independent opposition candidates.
Gbadolite is a commune of the city of Gbadolite, the capital of Nord-Ubangi province, Democratic Republic of Congo. It is located in the rainforest, about a dozen kilometers south of the banks of the Ubangi River. Gbado, as it is sometimes called, covers 11.2 km 2. This is one of three communes of the city of Gbadolite.
Nzinda or Nzida is a commune and a town in the city of Kikwit in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
General elections were held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 20 December 2023. Combined elections were held for the President, 484 of the 500 members of the National Assembly, 700 of the 716 elected members of the 26 provincial assemblies, and for the first time under the new constitution, 951 members of a scaled down number of commune (municipal) councils. On election day, the Congolese government extended voting to 21 December for polling stations that had not opened on 20 December. Agence France-Presse reported that some polling stations would open as late as 24 December.
Lumumbaville is a new city being developed in Sankuru province, in the central Democratic Republic of Congo. It was created to honor the national and panafrican hero Patrice Lumumba, independence leader and first prime minister of the country, who was executed in 1961 during the Congo crisis.
Senate elections will take place in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2024 to renew the 108 elected members of the Senate elected by indirect ballot by the members of the 26 provincial assemblies. The elections will take place in four parts. The election of the 84 senators representing Kinshasa and 19 provinces will be held 29 April at the same time as the gubernatorial elections. This is followed by the election of the senators of Equateur and Ituri on 24 May, and on 26 May those of Mai-Ndombe and North Kivu for a total of 16 senators. The election of the last 8 senators will be scheduled after the December elections to complete the provincial assemblies of Kwilu and Nord-Ubangi.
