Flahaut gives in to PM

28 February 2007

BRUSSELS – The government has released a statement that Defence Minister André Flahaut, in consultation with Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, has agreed to allow the administration at the Royal Military School (KMS) to make the final decision on whether to grant Congolese president Joseph Kabila an honorary doctorate.

Although the approval of the KMS administration is not technically required in the case of an honorary degree, the decision will be left to it this time, said a spokesperson for the defence department.

André Flahaut’s announcement of the honorary degree at a press conference in Kinshasa last Friday, during a visit to the Congo, was met with outrage by the prime minister and the foreign affairs minister Karel De Gucht, who said it was inappropriate to use the KMS for political reasons. A number of faculty members at the KMS also objected to the plan.

The defence minister did not understand at first why his decision was met with so much fuss. After consultation with the prime minister however Flahaut agreed to give the KMS administration a say in the matter.

Subject: Belgian news