Constitutional change: local elected officials announce rally in Kinshasa on Saturday

Kinshasa, June 24^th, 2026 (CPA).- A rally of local elected officials dedicated to the proposed change of the Constitution has been announced for Saturday at Assossa Ground in Kasa-Vubu, a municipality in central Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to an administrative source on Wednesday. “We are announcing the holding of a popular rally this Saturday, June 27, 2026, at Assossa Ground in Kasa-Vubu. As grassroots elected representatives, we have resolved to speak out in order to explain to the population the motivations behind the proposed change of the Constitution,” said Juguel Banza, municipal councilor of Kasa-Vubu. According to him, the population has the right to be informed about the reasons motivating municipal councilors to support a constitutional change rather than a simple constitutional amendment. “It is important to adapt a new Constitution to the current realities of the country, correct certain institutional weaknesses and strengthen the effectiveness of State authority. The population that entrusted us with this mandate should be informed of all the benefits,” he added. Mr. Banza stated that the gathering also aims to demonstrate the political weight of municipal councilors within national institutions. “We will show that we are grassroots elected representatives and that we have a support base capable of influencing developments. The Head of State will once again see the relevance of our role. We remain committed to supporting his vision,” he continued. The spokesperson of the collective further assured that all municipal councilors of Kinshasa would participate in the activity, accompanied by their respective constituencies, in order to launch the awareness campaign planned ahead of the national workshop. “All municipal councilors of Kinshasa will be accompanied by their grassroots supporters. This is precisely our way of giving the go-ahead before the national workshop on strategies and methods for raising awareness about the constitutional change, scheduled from June 25^th to 26^th in the capital,” Mr. Banza stated. It should be recalled that following its adoption by the National Assembly on June 9^th and by the Senate on June 15^th, the bill establishing the conditions for organizing a referendum is continuing its legislative process. Sponsored by National Deputy Paul-Gaspard Ngondankoy, the bill aims to provide the DRC with a new legal framework governing the organization of referendums, replacing the law of June 22^nd, 2005, which is considered no longer adapted to current institutional realities.