Congolese President Signs Contested Referendum Law

The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, has approved a law to allow 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.

The legislation, approved by parliament last month, 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, signed by Tshisekedi on Monday in a move announced on state television late on Tuesday, sets out how a new constitution could be drafted and put to a referendum, as well as how existing constitutional provisions could be changed.

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.