Africa-Press. The Senate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has approved a bill that outlines the procedures for organizing a constitutional referendum, following the National Assembly’s endorsement just days earlier. This marks a new step in the constitutional review process and the potential for constitutional amendments to be put to a public referendum.
Eighty-nine out of 109 Senate members voted in favor of the bill, making it the first law to establish a clear legal framework for organizing referendums in the country.
However, the Senate made amendments to the version previously adopted by the National Assembly, including the rephrasing of certain articles and altering the composition of the constituent assembly tasked with preparing potential constitutional reforms.
The Senate excluded members of municipal councils from the constituent assembly, justifying this by stating that elections for these councils have only been held in provincial capitals, leaving other cities and rural areas underrepresented at the national level.
The amendments are expected to be presented to both chambers to unify the final text. If disagreements persist, legislative procedures stipulate that the National Assembly’s position will prevail.
The bill has sparked significant political controversy, with the opposition coalition “C64” expressing its rejection of the initiative, arguing that it could pave the way for a new constitution allowing President Félix Tshisekedi to run for a third term after his current term ends in 2028. Authorities deny this, asserting that the project’s aim is solely to organize the mechanism for the constitutional referendum.
