A leading opposition figure in the Democratic Republic of Congo has urged President Felix Tshisekedi to abandon proposed constitutional changes that could pave the way for him to seek a third term in office.
Delly Sesanga, president of the ENVOL party and a member of the C64 opposition coalition, made the call on Monday as political tensions rise ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
Tshisekedi, 63, has been president since 2019 and is constitutionally limited to two five-year terms, meaning his current mandate is expected to end in 2028.
The ruling-party-majority parliament recently approved a proposal that could alter the constitutional framework governing presidential elections. Tshisekedi has yet to decide whether to enact the proposed changes.
Earlier this month, the President returned to the National Assembly for further review a controversial draft law that would ease conditions for organising referendums. The bill had been approved by the Constitutional Court in July.
Sesanga described the move as insufficient and called on both Tshisekedi and lawmakers to abandon the constitutional reform project.
“A nation at war should not have changing the constitution as a priority,” Sesanga said.
He argued that the country should instead focus on addressing insecurity, poverty and unemployment.
“The main opponent is the misery in which our population lives, insecurity, the lack of jobs for young people,” he said, insisting that the opposition remained united in its position.
The opposition coalition had initially planned demonstrations for mid-August but postponed the protests until September 15.
Meanwhile, the government has announced plans for a national dialogue, a long-standing demand of opposition groups, although details of the proposed talks remain unclear.
The constitutional debate comes as the country continues to face serious security challenges, particularly in the east, where the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has seized large areas of territory.
Sesanga has called for M23 representatives to participate in the proposed national dialogue as part of efforts to achieve peace and national reunification. However, the Congolese government has rejected the proposal.
Millions of voters in North Kivu and South Kivu could also face difficulties participating in the 2028 presidential election after M23 forces captured the capitals of the two provinces in January 2025.
“No serious Congolese would accept an election without North Kivu and South Kivu,” Sesanga said.
The latest political developments come as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict continue. On Sunday, Switzerland announced that the Congolese government and M23 had agreed to a new roadmap for peace talks aimed at securing a ceasefire after previous agreements failed to halt fighting.
