The parliament voted on Wednesday to censure Ilunga after President Felix Tshisekedi accused coalition partners loyal to his predecessor of undermining his plans for reforming the Central African nation. Ilunga dismissed this criticism as political maneuvering.
"Based on the consequences of the evolution of the current political situation, today I submitted my resignation to the President of the Republic @TshitshiNews. Of course, I will remain in office until my successor takes over," Ilunga wrote on Twitter.
The Wednesday vote paves the way for Tshisekedi to form a new political alliance. His office announced that the president had the support of 391 lawmakers in the 500-seat parliament, whom it referred to as "the sacred union of the nation."
Political tensions in the DRC escalated in December after Tshisekedi announced a break-up of the ruling coalition between the Heading for Change parliamentary group and the Common Front for Congo alliance, linked to former president Joseph Kabila. After the breakdown of the coalition, clashes between supporters of different DRC political groups broke out in Kinshasa, the country's capital.
