Why C64 Plans a July 8 March to Demand Tshisekedi's Resignation

The opposition coalition C64 has announced a nationwide march on July 8 to demand the resignation of President Félix Tshisekedi, according to a 7SUR7.CD report. In Kinshasa, the coalition says demonstrators plan to converge on the Palais de la Nation, accusing Tshisekedi of “treason” and “rebellion against the Constitution.”

The planned march follows a June 12 opposition sit-in against the constitutional review process and a referendum law recently adopted by Parliament. C64 says the new mobilization is part of its broader campaign against any initiative it believes could weaken protected constitutional provisions.

The dispute has intensified after opposition groups denounced a bill they say could open the way for Tshisekedi to seek another term. It was reported that the bill has been criticized by opposition leaders as a potential route toward resetting presidential term limits through a new constitutional referendum.

The June 12 protest also reflected the rising political temperature in Kinshasa. Africanews reported that a rally against constitutional change plans was broken up after clashes, with opposition figures injured during the unrest.

For the government majority, the reform debate has been presented as an exercise in popular sovereignty. Opposition leaders, however, argue that the process risks changing the rules of the institutional game and undermining constitutional safeguards.

The July 8 march now becomes the next major test in the standoff between the ruling majority and the opposition. C64 has framed the mobilization as a national response to the referendum process, while the authorities have not yet clearly indicated how they will handle the planned demonstrations.