A debate around the Constitution resurfaces in the DRC. Augustin Kabuya, Secretary General of the UDPS, made remarks during a popular meeting this weekend which sparked a lively controversy within the political class and civil society, by evoking the need for a revision of the Constitution .
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With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Patient Ligodi
In his speech, Augustin Kabuya pleaded in favor of a revision of the Constitution, considering that it presents several shortcomings. According to him, the five years of presidential mandate are not effective. Part of this time was devoted, he said, to negotiations for the formation of the government. And according to him, this reduces the actual term of office to around three years.
Augustin Kabuya also criticized the origin of the Constitution, saying that it would have been ” developed by foreigners », an argument he uses to justify his call for a review.
These statements were quickly denounced by several civil society organizations and opponents. For example, the NGO Justicia ASBL reacted by accusing Augustin Kabuya of deliberately sowing confusion between revision and change of the Constitution. Which, according to the organization, represents a violation of Article 220, which protects intangible provisions, such as presidential term limits.
For his part, President Tshisekedi, last August, denied any intention to modify the Constitution to extend his mandate, affirming: “ I have never said that I will change the Constitution to extend the duration of my mandate. These are immutable provisions, and the people must be consulted before considering any modification. »
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