On Thursday, August 13, against the backdrop of escalating tension with the Article 64 Coalition (C64)—a platform established in May by the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) leading opposition forces—President Félix Tshisekedi requested parliamentary reconsideration of the bill governing the conditions for organizing a constitutional referendum. The move comes as the coalition warns of a “countdown” scenario.

The coalition argues that the draft law, championed by the ruling party since 2024, is a vehicle for Tshisekedi to pursue a third term, a move prohibited by the 2006 Constitution.

The previous day in Kinshasa, Dieudonné Bolengetenge, Secretary-General of Moïse Katumbi’s Ensemble pour la République and C64 spokesperson, declared the coalition would no longer heed “advice” and would escalate mobilizations if the president failed to initiate meaningful national dialogue.

Originally scheduled for July 22, a C64 march in Kinshasa was postponed following appeals from the Catholic and Protestant churches of the DRC, which urged political actors to prioritize dialogue over confrontation.

In addition to C64, 65 Congolese civil society organizations submitted a memorandum to the head of state and key institutions on August 10, urging Tshisekedi to abandon the referendum. They warned that such an initiative could “fuel political tensions, deepen social divisions, and divert institutions from the nation’s core priorities,” according to local reports.

A cautious concession

While Tshisekedi’s concession falls short of C64’s demands, Prince Epenge, C64 co-founder, acknowledged it as “a small step in the right direction.”

The coalition has vowed to maintain pressure, with plans to assess political progress by August 15. The group had called on the public to mobilize and resist if the referendum proposal currently under parliamentary review was not withdrawn.