DRC Parliament Divided as Opposition Walks Out Over Referendum Law Debate

Kinshasa, May 27, 2026 - Tensions flared in the National Assembly on Wednesday as opposition lawmakers staged a walkout during a plenary session dedicated to the examination of a draft law on the organization of referendums in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Aimé Boji Sangara, acknowledged the opposition’s withdrawal but insisted that parliamentary work must continue within the constitutional framework and legislative mandate of the institution.

The session focused on the review of the report submitted by the Political, Legal, and Administrative (PAJ) Commission concerning a bill introduced by MP Paul-Gaspard Ngondankoy, a member of the parliamentary majority.

Following a motion for information raised by opposition lawmaker Christian Mwando Nsimba and the subsequent exit of members of the “Ensemble” parliamentary group, Speaker Boji rejected claims that Parliament was attempting to organize a referendum directly within the chamber.

“You are a seasoned parliamentarian, and no one here is organizing a referendum,” he stated, emphasizing that legislators were solely exercising their constitutional duty to debate and legislate.

He explained that the proposed law is intended to establish a legal framework governing the organization of referendums, allowing citizens to express their views on major national issues in accordance with constitutional provisions.

“The purpose of the text being examined today is to provide the Republic with a legal framework enabling our people, the primary sovereign power, to express their views on important issues of national life,” Boji added, stressing that parliamentary debate would continue despite the opposition’s absence.

Earlier in the session, opposition deputies led by Christian Mwando, who also heads the “Ensemble” parliamentary group, left the chamber in protest. They argued that discussions on the referendum bill were taking place in a politically sensitive context marked by insecurity in eastern DRC and alleged foreign involvement alongside the AFC/M23 rebellion.