Kabila, who became president in 2001 and won disputed elections in
2006 and 2011, is barred by the constitution from standing for a third
term. But opponents say he is determined to stay in power by delaying a
vote scheduled for November 2016.
Joseph
Kabila Kabange, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
addresses the 69th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N.
headquarters in New York September 25, 2014. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
(Reuters)
Democratic Republic of Congo's powerful Catholic church called on citizens on Thursday to defy any attempt by President Joseph Kabila to hold on to power beyond the end of his term next year.
More
than 40 percent of Congo identifies itself as Catholic. The church has
been outspoken on the subject of Kabila's future, notably condemning the
government's crackdown on anti-government protests in January that left
about 40 people dead.
Kabila, who became
president in 2001 and won disputed elections in 2006 and 2011, is barred
by the constitution from standing for a third term. But opponents say
he is determined to stay in power by delaying a vote scheduled for
November 2016.
"We ask the Congolese people to prove their vigilance in the spirit of article 64 (of the constitution)," said the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) in a statement signed by the leader of Congo's Catholics, Cardinal Laurent Mosengwo Pasinya.
"(This)
stipulates that 'All Congolese have the duty to thwart any individual
or group of individuals that takes power by force or exercises it in
violation of the provisions of the present constitution.'"
Kabila
has refused to comment publicly on his political future. A spokesman
says he intends to respect the constitution, but some of his allies have
suggested delaying the presidential election by up to four years to
clean up voter rolls.
Earlier this month, the
church declared its support for a national dialogue to discuss the
upcoming elections as long it does not delay polls. The government has
said that Kabila will convene the dialogue "imminently".
Most opposition parties have said they will not participate, calling the dialogue part of a strategy to delay the election.
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