Key facts
- The law sets out how a new constitution could be drafted and put to a referendum, and how existing provisions could be changed.
- Opposition figures accuse Tshisekedi of seeking to extend his time in office beyond the end of his second term in 2028.
- Tshisekedi has denied seeking a third term but said he would accept one if the Congolese people wanted it.
- The law has fuelled fears a referendum could scrap the two-term presidential limit and change term lengths, which parliament cannot revise under the current constitution.
- The legislation, approved by parliament in October 2026, has sparked protests.
Felix Tshisekedi, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, approved a law allowing constitutional changes to be put to a referendum, a move critics say could lay the groundwork for him to seek a third term in power. He signed the legislation on Monday, November 9, and state television announced the signing late on Tuesday, November 10, Reuters reported.
Parliament approved the legislation in October 2026. It sets out how a new constitution could be drafted and put to a referendum, as well as how existing constitutional provisions could be changed. It has sparked protests and drawn criticism from opposition figures, who accuse Tshisekedi of seeking to extend his time in office beyond the end of his second term in 2028.
Tshisekedi has denied seeking a third term but said he would accept one if the Congolese people wanted it. The law has fuelled fears that a referendum could be used to scrap the two-term presidential limit and change the length of presidential terms, both of which are protected from revision by parliament under the current constitution. No date has been announced for a possible referendum.
Tshisekedi said in May that elections due in late 2028 may not go ahead as scheduled if a conflict in eastern Congo continues and territories in North and South Kivu remain under rebel control.