Tshisekedi Third-Term Signal Reopens Congo’s Constitutional Fault Line
President Félix Tshisekedi’s openness to a third term and possible election delay has angered opposition figures and revived memories of Congo’s last mandate crisis.
Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi has said he is open to standing for a third term if the public wants it, angering opposition figures who accuse him of testing the limits of the constitution. Congo’s constitution currently restricts presidents to two terms, and Tshisekedi was re-elected for a second term in December 2023.
The president also said continuing war in the east could make it impossible to hold the next presidential election on schedule in 2028. His argument is direct: elections cannot be held while parts of the country remain occupied.
That statement has immediate political weight. Congo suffered a prolonged crisis after former President Joseph Kabila delayed elections beyond the end of his mandate in 2016, triggering protests and international condemnation. Opposition figures now warn that constitutional revision could push the country into renewed institutional tension.
The debate is already organised. Reuters reported that proposals for constitutional revision have intensified, with political parties, civil society groups, religious organisations, labour unions and legal experts invited to submit ideas. A technical commission is expected after 20 May to review submissions before recommendations are made to the president.
The eastern war gives the constitutional question added force. The AFC/M23 coalition, which Kinshasa and several Western governments say is backed by Rwanda, controls large areas in the east. Rwanda denies supporting the rebels. Fighting has continued despite mediation efforts, including by the United States.
For Tshisekedi, constitutional revision may be framed as reform. For the opposition, it looks like a pathway to personalisation of power. The danger is that both arguments unfold while the state is already stretched by war, displacement, mineral insecurity and regional tension.
Congo’s next political crisis may not begin on election day. It may begin now, with the rules of the next election.