DRC’s constitutional battle: The fight over the 2028 vote

What the report says

President Felix Tshisekedi’s remarks and reform push have intensified a constitutional dispute in the Democratic Republic of the Congo over the rules for the 2028 transition, when he is due to leave office under the current constitution. According to Al Jazeera, the debate has revived opposition concerns that changes framed as institutional reform could be used to weaken the existing two-term limit, even as the government says it is focused on broader constitutional and institutional questions.

The article says the dispute accelerated after parliament passed legislation in June on conditions for holding a referendum, and the Constitutional Court later found the law broadly compatible with the constitution while flagging some concerns. Tshisekedi then asked parliamentary leaders to revisit the text. Opponents, including the Article 64 coalition known as C64, argue the process could be used to extend the president’s stay in power. C64 has called for nationwide mobilisation in September, with demonstrations planned in Kinshasa near the Palais du Peuple.

The political fight is unfolding alongside conflict in the east, where M23 and its broader AFC coalition control territory including Goma and Bukavu. Al Jazeera reports that the war has complicated questions about whether credible elections can be held in 2028 if parts of the country remain outside government control. Tshisekedi has also proposed an inclusive national dialogue, though no date has been set. The article highlights divisions between Kinshasa and the east, as well as public uncertainty about the proposed reforms, underscoring how constitutional questions have become tied to security, legitimacy and succession.