The Constitutional Court of the Democratic Republic of Congo ruled on Tuesday that a proposed constitutional revision that could pave the way for President Félix Tshisekedi to seek a third term is in line with the constitution.
At the same time, it raised concerns about parts of the proposed amendment.
In a statement broadcast on national television, Court President Dieudonné Kamuleta Badibanga said that “the law setting out the conditions for the referendum” complies with the constitution.
The court also approved several provisions that would allow the president to amend the constitution through a constituent assembly followed by a referendum if the functioning of state institutions were to be “seriously disrupted.”
However, it expressed reservations about other parts of the proposal, including an article that would allow the head of state to call a referendum on any issue deemed to be of “fundamental” importance.
The proposal has already heightened tensions between the government and the opposition more than two years before the next presidential election. Parliament approved the bill in mid-June, and it must now be signed into law by the president.
Tshisekedi, 63, has been in power since 2019. His second term is due to end in late 2028, and the Congolese constitution currently limits presidents to two five-year terms.
The opposition, grouped in the C64 coalition, had previously said it would not back down and called for mass mobilisation on 22 July to demand the president’s resignation.
That protest was postponed after the government said it would organise a national dialogue, something the opposition had been calling for. It remains unclear who will take part in the talks.
