The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Senate unanimously adopted a constitutional revision bill, paving the way for a potential referendum on the matter.
The proposed constitutional changes would allow President Felix Tshisekedi to bypass current limits and seek a controversial third term in office.
All eighty-nine participating senators voted in favor of the bill on Monday, while twenty other lawmakers chose not to participate.
The legislative milestone follows a week of violent demonstrations in Kinshasa, where security forces clashed fiercely with citizens protesting the extension.
Police deployed tear gas and live ammunition against rock-throwing crowds, reportedly injuring high-profile opposition figures during the chaotic street confrontations.
Opposition Senator Salomon Kalonda Della Idi warned that changing the nation’s foundational law could permanently fracture and balkanize the country.
The lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, has already granted its approval to the highly contentious piece of legislation.
President Tshisekedi, currently serving his second and final constitutional term, must now sign the bill to enact it into law.
If approved by the public, the new constitution would effectively reset the president’s term count ahead of the 2028 elections.
The political maneuver has heightened domestic instability, threatening to plunge the volatile Central African nation into a deeper constitutional crisis.
