Congo President Tshisekedi draws criticism over constitutional reform plans

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has announced plans to establish a commission to explore revisions to the country's constitution, potentially removing term limits and paving the way for his pursuit of a third term.

Tshisekedi's decision to address the contentious issues of constitutional reform and presidential term limits risks pushing the mineral-rich nation, which has endured decades of conflict, into further political crisis and unrest.

Tshisekedi was sworn into office in January after a contested re-election in December for a second and final term. On Wednesday he set out plans to look at revising the constitution, saying the current constitution, ratified by a referendum in 2005, does not align with the country's current realities.

"You have heard about a potential change to the constitution, we should not be afraid that this subject will be addressed," Tshisekedi told supporters in Kisangani, adding that he plans to set up a commission to start work on the issue next year.

"This story of two terms that the current constitution requires, the people must decide if they want us to change," he said. Tshisekedi also suggested that those who disagreed with his decision were using the issue to divide the nation.

Opposition political leaders in Congo see Tshisekedi's move as a strategy to prolong his tenure, mirroring similar actions taken in other African countries like Guinea under former president Alpha Conde and Cameroon under President Paul Biya.

"By changing the rules of the game to stay in power, the current regime is only seeking to prolong its political survival to the detriment of the people's legitimate aspirations for fair, transparent governance," opposition leader Claudel Lubaya told Reuters.

Another opposition leader, Moise Katumbi, who was the runner-up in the disputed December election, told Reuters that the constitution will remain unchanged because the Congolese people approved it. "Congo's problem is bad governance, not the constitution," Katumbi said.

(Reporting by Ange Kasongo; Additional reporting by Stanis Bujakera; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Bate Felix and Susan Fenton)