Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo Leader Opens Way for Third Term Under New Constitution

What the report says

DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has signed a law that makes it easier to hold a referendum on constitutional change, according to RFI, raising the prospect of amendments that could allow him to seek a third term. The move was announced in an overnight order read on national television and came more than two years before the country’s next scheduled elections.

Tshisekedi, who has been in office since 2019, is currently limited by the existing constitution to two five-year terms and would otherwise be expected to leave at the end of 2028. The opposition says the initiative is intended to keep him in power, and several parties have in recent months united in resistance to any constitutional revision. Public protests against what critics called a constitutional power grab were reported in Kinshasa and other cities, though opposition rallies have faced heavy security pressure and low turnout.

The issue is unfolding against a backdrop of political tension and insecurity in eastern Congo, where conflict has persisted for years and the M23 armed movement has captured significant territory. RFI reported that former president Joseph Kabila has aligned himself with the renamed rebel formation in the east and has sharply criticized the government’s constitutional plans. The article also noted that mediation efforts in the region have not yet ended the fighting, adding to concerns about the wider stability of the country as the election cycle approaches.