Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, who is due to step down in 2028, said he was open to standing for a third term if people backed him.
Tshisekedi also said fighting in the east could make it impossible to hold the next presidential vote on time in 2028 – raising the prospect of a delay that could prove equally divisive in the mineral-rich nation which has endured decades of conflict.
Congo experienced a prolonged political crisis under former president Joseph Kabila after he delayed elections beyond the end of his mandate in 2016, triggering deadly protests and international condemnation.
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“I have not asked for a third term, but if the people want a third term, I will accept,” Tshisekedi told a press conference late on Wednesday, responding to a question about recent proposals by allies to revise the constitution.
Congo’s constitution currently limits presidents to two terms. Tshisekedi said any change would require a constitutional revision approved by the referendum.
Opposition figures criticised Tshisekedi’s remarks, saying they could plunge the country into renewed political turmoil.
“The DRC cannot enter a new cycle of institutional tensions and the personalization of power. All democrats must stand against this slide,” former presidential candidate Delly Sesanga wrote on X after the press conference.
Reuters/Shakirat Sadiq
