00:00In the Democratic Republic of Congo, over 65 civil society organizations are now urging President Felix Nisakedi to abandon plans
00:09for a constitutional referendum.
00:11In a memorandum sent Monday to the President and the country's main institutions, the group say the security, humanitarian and
00:18economic crisis make a referendum a poor use of resources.
00:22They point to the war in the East, the suffering of millions of displaced people in worsening living conditions, warning
00:29that the proposed law could be seen as a first step towards changing the Constitution and could deepen political tensions.
00:36The organization included an order to constitutional change, Civil Bridge, Generation Z, RDC, Lucha RDC and Philimbi are now calling
00:43Oshiseke to focus instead on stability and the country's urgent needs.
00:47But the President's party, the UPDS, says a legal framework for a referendum is needed to fill a legal gap
00:54and set out the rules for exercising popular sovereignty.
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