Politics

In Lopongo, the Parliament is mostly a consultive body, with weak powers to oversee the executive, and very little autonomy to promote its legislative agenda. Following a national agreement brokered by President Sei Bruto, the 110 seats were split among three leading parties:

• LURID – Lopongo Union for Reform, Independence and Democracy. The Kenema party led by cousins Kwanto Sei Bruto and Kwanto Midevi. It received 60 seats in the parliament;


• LAID – Lopongo Alliance for Independence and Democracy. The Makeni party led, at national level, by Mo Kefai, received 40 seats, campaigning under the banner “Get LAID in power.” The influential leader Mobuto Labomba was appointed governor for the Port Durame district;


• CIULA – Congress for Independence, Union, and Liberty in Africa. Ali Mentari’s Muslim party from the Koitu areas. It was awarded 10 seats in Parliament by the 2006 agreement.
  

There are three are political movements which opposed the brokered agreement of 2006, and were not permitted to participate in the general election:

• LECCA – Lopongo Earth-Chosen Congress for Africa. A religious faction, mostly concentrated in the Ouidah district, led by the animist preacher Ovisto Laluche;


• LUSH – Leninist Union “Sickle and Hammer.” A Marxist-Leninist formation, born from the remnants of the Communist Party outlawed after the 1976 coup;


• LIPPA – Lopongo Independence Party – Popular Alliance. A moderate, pro-Western party of democratic aspirations.

Lose, more extremists Islamic groups also operates, without much following, in the Kandi and Malanville districts.