Tshopo governor welcomes promulgation of referendum law in DR Congo
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Kis24info and Beto
Paulin Lendongolia Lebabonga, governor of Tshopo, DR Congo, welcomed the promulgation on 9 November 2026 of Law No. 26/045 on referendums and congratulated President Félix Tshisekedi. According to Kis24info, he presents the text, which replaces the 2005 one, as strengthening direct citizen participation.
The governor speaks on behalf of the people of Tshopo and in his own name. In his view, the text replaces that of 22 June 2005 and gives Congolese a tool to make their voice heard on the country’s future. He links this development to free basic education, which he presents as the concrete implementation of constitutional principles.
Speaking from Kisangani, Deputy Patrick Matata Makalamba, a senior official of the UDPS, considers the promulgation historic. According to him, the law fills a legal gap, since the Republic had laws on elections but lacked a specific framework for referendums. He states that “the fundamental questions of the Republic are going to be submitted to the population.” He also rejects any foreign interference, notably Rwandan, in the exercise of Congolese sovereignty.
