Amidst escalating tensions with the Coalition Article 64 (C64), a prominent opposition platform established in May by key political forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), President Félix Tshisekedi made a pivotal move on Thursday, August 13. He formally requested Parliament to undertake a fresh deliberation on the proposed law outlining the parameters for a constitutional reform referendum.

The C64 asserts that this legislative initiative, championed by the presidential party since 2024, is strategically designed to pave the way for President Tshisekedi to pursue an unconstitutional third term, a move explicitly prohibited by the 2006 Constitution.

Just a day prior, on Wednesday, August 12, in Kinshasa, 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 cease heeding advice and instead incite widespread mobilizations if the President failed to initiate a comprehensive national dialogue.

The coalition had previously designated Saturday, August 15, as the deadline to assess the progress of any political dialogue initiated by the President. Simultaneously, they urged the populace towards “mobilization and resistance” should the “withdrawal of the referendum bill currently under parliamentary review” not be confirmed.

A small step in the right direction

While President Tshisekedi’s concession does not entirely satisfy the coalition’s demands, prompting them to “maintain” their pressure, it has been acknowledged as “a small step in the right direction,” according to Prince Epenge, co-founder of the C64 Coalition.

A planned march by C64 in Kinshasa, originally scheduled for July 22, had been postponed. This deferral followed interventions by the Catholic and Protestant Churches of Congo, which had urged political stakeholders to prioritize dialogue and de-escalation.

Beyond the C64, a collective of 65 Congolese civil society organizations also weighed in. In a memorandum delivered to the Head of State and key national institutions on Monday, August 10, they implored Félix Tshisekedi to abandon the proposed constitutional reform referendum. Their collective statement warned that “such an initiative would, on the contrary, risk exacerbating political tensions, deepening social divides, and diverting national institutions from the nation’s true priorities.”