Civil society groups and opposition forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have staged demonstrations in Kinshasa to oppose proposed constitutional amendments that critics warn could allow President Félix Tshisekedi to seek a third term in office.
Organised by the opposition-led C64 coalition, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of the capital to demand that the government abandon plans to revise the constitution, warning that extending presidential term limits undermines the nation’s democratic principles.
Civil society representatives urged government leadership to deprioritise constitutional reform and focus immediate resources on urgent national crises, including the ongoing security situation in Ituri and eastern regions, as well as public health challenges such as the Ebola outbreak.
Reporting from Kinshasa, Correspondent Jimmy Bakomera detailed the growing calls from civil society for the administration to reorder its national priorities.
“They are asking that government put first the security situation, and they go so far to include the situation of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC,” Bakomera reported. “They have showed the government there are essential issues they could debate, like the security situation in Ituri and eastern DRC, without putting the reform of the constitution first.”
–ChannelAfrica–
