On thursday 13 august, with tensions escalating against the coalition article 64—a platform launched in may by the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) main opposition parties—the president, Félix Tshisekedi, requested parliament revisit the law outlining conditions for a constitutional reform referendum.

The coalition argues this draft legislation, pushed by the ruling party since 2024, serves as a vehicle for Tshisekedi to pursue a third term, violating the 2006 constitution.

On wednesday 12 august in Kinshasa, Dieudonné Bolengetenge, secretary-general of Moïse Katumbi’s Ensemble pour la République and C64 spokesperson, warned the coalition would no longer heed calls for restraint and would escalate mobilizations if the president failed to initiate meaningful national dialogue.

Originally scheduled for 22 july, a Kinshasa march organized by C64 was postponed following appeals from Catholic and Protestant churches urging political actors to prioritize dialogue over confrontation.

In addition to C64, 65 civil society organizations issued a joint memorandum to the head of state and national institutions on monday 10 august, urging Tshisekedi to abandon the referendum. They cautioned that such a move would “risk deepening political divisions, exacerbating social fractures, and diverting institutions from the nation’s core priorities.”

A measured concession

While falling short of the coalition’s demands, Tshisekedi’s decision to seek parliamentary reconsideration marks “a measured concession”, according to Prince Epenge, co-founder of C64. The coalition has nonetheless vowed to “maintain pressure” until the referendum proposal is fully withdrawn.