Referendum, dialogue, Kabila's new front: Kinshasa argues over the future of the constitution
The National Assembly in Kinshasa has passed the controversial referendum law, with the opposition boycotting the vote. President Tshisekedi insists he does not want to rule longer than allowed, but distrust among the political class remains high.
What happened
On 23 October, the National Assembly of the DR Congo adopted the law on organising referendums. It sets out how the constitution can be amended by popular vote or a new constitution put to voters. President Félix Tshisekedi had sent the text back for revision after reservations from the Constitutional Court. The Senate must now debate it.
On Saturday, 24 October, Tshisekedi told deputies and senators from his Union sacrée coalition in Kinshasa that a preparatory team for a national dialogue would be set up the following week. The African Union is to provide two co-facilitators, a woman and a man.
The debate is overshadowed by the creation of the Front pour la refondation de la nation (FRN), a politico-military platform led by former president Joseph Kabila. According to Radio Okapi, Tshisekedi described its emergence as unsurprising and reaffirmed his commitment to defending the country's territorial integrity.
The mood on the ground
In the governing camp, the referendum law is hailed as proof that parliamentary democracy works. The majority argues that the opposition's absence must not block the work of parliament.
The opposition sees it the other way round. It speaks of the law being forced through and fears it will pave the way for a constitutional change and a third term for Tshisekedi, whose second mandate ends in 2028. An opposition group leader urged restraint in view of the war in the east and said the majority alone would bear responsibility.
Tshisekedi himself rejected this suspicion: the dialogue is not a means of staying in power, he said, but is meant to return the country to normality. Mediacongo notes that the dialogue divides the political class: some see it as a chance to find solutions to the crises, others doubt its real aims.
The citizens' movement LUCHA condemns Kabila's involvement in the FRN, but equally rejects a forced constitutional revision and warns against a dialogue that shares power among the parties to the conflict.
Voices from the media
Sources
This article was rewritten from local-language sources. Every statement about the mood is based on the linked reports.