On Thursday, August 13, amidst escalating tensions with the Coalition Article 64 (C64), a significant platform established in May by the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) leading opposition factions, President Félix Tshisekedi requested Parliament to re-evaluate legislation dictating the terms for a constitutional reform referendum. This move comes during a critical “countdown” period set by the C64.

The opposition coalition firmly asserts that this proposed legislative initiative, championed by the presidential party since 2024, is a thinly veiled attempt to enable President Tshisekedi to pursue an unconstitutional third term, a course of action explicitly forbidden by the nation’s 2006 Constitution.

In Kinshasa, on Wednesday, August 12, Dieudonné Bolengetenge, the Secretary General of Moïse Katumbi’s Ensemble pour la République and spokesperson for C64, issued a stern warning. He declared that the coalition would no longer entertain advice but would instead galvanize public mobilizations if the president failed to initiate a national dialogue.

The C64 had designated Saturday, August 15, as the deadline to assess any progress in political dialogue undertaken by the president. Simultaneously, they urged the populace to prepare for “mobilization and resistance” should the “withdrawal of the proposed referendum law currently under parliamentary review” not be confirmed.

A small step in the right direction

While President Tshisekedi’s recent concession does not entirely satisfy the C64, which remains committed to maintaining its pressure, it nonetheless signifies “a small step in the right direction,” as emphasized by Prince Epenge, a co-founder of the Coalition C64.

A major march initially scheduled by the C64 for July 22 in Kinshasa had been postponed earlier, following interventions by the Catholic and Protestant Churches of Congo, who had advocated for political actors to prioritize dialogue over confrontation.

Beyond the C64, a collective of 65 Congolese civil society organizations also voiced their concerns. In a memorandum addressed on Monday, August 10, to the Head of State and the country’s principal institutions, they implored Félix Tshisekedi to abandon his proposed referendum for constitutional reform. They cautioned that “such an initiative would, on the contrary, risk exacerbating political tensions, deepening social divides, and diverting institutions from the nation’s genuine priorities.”