In a statement issued on September 13, the Sauvons la RDC coalition said a presidential decree establishing the framework for a committee tasked with preparing the dialogue showed that the government wanted to control the process.
'Based on this decree, Mr Félix Tshisekedi, who has a tendency to grant himself excessive powers, has made himself the Alpha and Omega of the so-called national dialogue,' the coalition said.
It added that Tshisekedi's influence extended from the selection of members of the organising committee to the conclusions of the dialogue.
'From the beginning to the end of this dialogue, from the selection of members of the organising committee to the conclusions that will emerge from it, everything, without exception, depends on his will and is based on his power to make decisions as he pleases,' it said.
The coalition also questioned whether the dialogue would be inclusive, arguing that the president's announcement offered little assurance that different political groups and representatives of Congolese interests would be adequately involved.
Sauvons la RDC further argued that the dialogue was not primarily aimed at resolving the country's problems but at consolidating the current administration's hold on power and serving Tshisekedi's interests.
The coalition invoked Article 64 of the DRC Constitution, which provides for citizens to oppose any individual or group that takes power in violation of constitutional principles.
The coalition has previously made Article 64 central to its political position, particularly in its opposition to any attempt to extend Tshisekedi's stay in power beyond the constitutional framework.
Tshisekedi announced the national dialogue on August 27, presenting it as an effort to address the country's challenges and strengthen national cohesion. The September 13 presidential decree established the committee responsible for preparing the process.
The committee is expected to prepare the administrative, material and logistical arrangements for the dialogue and submit a preliminary report to Tshisekedi. A subsequent decree is expected to formally convene the dialogue and set out its principles, stages, representation and mechanisms for monitoring its conclusions.
Sauvons la RDC has called for independent mediation, the participation of different stakeholders and a credible mechanism to monitor the implementation of any resolutions reached through the dialogue.
The government has ruled out participation by those fighting against the constitutional order as political components of the dialogue. Discussions involving the AFC/M23 are being handled separately through the Doha process.
