Congo referendum bill sparks heated debates in parliament

The examination of the proposed law establishing the conditions for organizing a referendum has exposed sharp divisions between ruling party lawmakers and opposition members in the National Assembly. The debate, which reached a peak during the plenary session on May 27, saw the Ensemble pour la République bloc — representing the opposition — walk out in protest.

The bill, spearheaded by deputy Paul-Gaspard Ngondankoy, aims to address what its proponents describe as a legal vacuum in the current referendum framework. Supporters argue it is necessary to modernize the outdated legal framework inherited from the 2005 political transition and clarify procedures for constitutional referendums. Steve Mbikayi, a deputy from the Mont-Amba constituency in Kinshasa and president of the Parti Travailliste (an ally of the ruling Union Sacrée de la Nation coalition), defended the initiative.

“The authority to determine the feasibility of constitutional or legal reforms rests solely with the ruling majority. Nowhere in the constitution is the opposition granted the right to initiate or challenge such reforms. Only parliament, the Head of State, or a petition signed by more than 5,000 Congolese citizens have this prerogative. Anything else, in my view, is mere posturing without substance.”

A question of timing

Opposition lawmakers, however, have dismissed the timing of the referendum debate as highly inappropriate. Christian Mwando, a member of the Ensemble pour la République parliamentary group, argued that proceeding with the law amid ongoing insecurity in eastern Congo would effectively legitimize rebel groups operating in the region. He framed the initiative as a potential constitutional coup.

“The Ensemble parliamentary group calls on the President of the Republic to halt these initiatives that seek to legitimize rebellion in the eastern part of our country. We urge the Congolese people to oppose this sinister and dangerous project that threatens the very survival of the nation. This process is viewed as a conspiracy against the constitution of the DRC.”

Protests loom on the horizon

Amid the parliamentary standoff, Aimé Boji Sangara, President of the National Assembly, clarified that the law’s goal is simply to provide a legal framework for direct citizen expression on major national issues when conditions permit. Despite the opposition’s withdrawal, the Political, Administrative and Legal Committee’s report was declared admissible with amendments.

The political confrontation is now spreading to the streets. The opposition has called for a “dead city” day on June 3 to protest what they perceive as a covert constitutional revision attempt. Meanwhile, supporters of the ruling coalition plan a counter-march in Kinshasa and several provinces on the same day.