On Thursday, August 13, President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) requested Parliament to initiate a new deliberation on a proposed law. This legislation outlines the conditions for organizing a referendum on constitutional reform, a move that comes amid heightened tensions with the Coalition Article 64 (C64), a key opposition platform established in May. The C64 firmly believes that this legislative proposal, which the presidential party has been advocating since 2024, is a mechanism designed to allow President Tshisekedi to seek an unconstitutional third term, directly contravening the 2006 Constitution.
In Kinshasa on Wednesday, August 12, Dieudonné Bolengetenge, the Secretary General of Moïse Katumbi’s Ensemble pour la République and spokesperson for the C64, issued a clear warning. He stated that the coalition would no longer entertain negotiations but would instead actively encourage public mobilizations if the president failed to engage in meaningful national dialogue.
The C64 had set Saturday, August 15, as a crucial deadline to evaluate any progress in political dialogue initiated by the president. Simultaneously, they called upon the population to prepare for widespread “mobilization and resistance” if the contentious referendum bill, currently under parliamentary review, was not definitively withdrawn.
A small step in the right direction
Despite President Tshisekedi’s recent concession not fully satisfying the C64, which has resolved to maintain its pressure, it has been acknowledged as “a small step in the right direction,” according to Prince Epenge, co-founder of the Coalition C64. This sentiment reflects a cautious optimism within the opposition, even as they remain vigilant.
A major march organized by the C64 in Kinshasa, initially scheduled for July 22, was previously postponed. This delay followed interventions by the Catholic and Protestant Churches of Congo, which had urged all political stakeholders to prioritize dialogue and seek peaceful resolutions.
Further amplifying the opposition’s concerns, 65 Congolese civil society organizations collectively addressed a memorandum on Monday, August 10, to the Head of State and other principal institutions. They earnestly appealed to Félix Tshisekedi to abandon his plans for a constitutional reform referendum. These organizations warned that “such an initiative risks, on the contrary, exacerbating political tensions, aggravating social divisions, and diverting institutions from the nation’s true priorities.”
