Stakes of the referendum law: legal modernization for the majority, constitutional drift for the opposition

The National Assembly adopted on June 9, 2026 a bill on the referendum in the DRC, initiated by MP Paul-Gaspard Ngondankoy. The text aims to modernize the legal framework from 2005, specifying the organizational modalities by the CENI and distinguishing four types of referendum, including constitutional revision. The opposition, absent from the vote, fears that this text may be used to amend the Constitution.