Kabila ally floats possibility of Congo referendum on term limits

Congo President Joseph Kabila signs the Paris Agreement on climate change at United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York, U.S., April 22, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

KINSHASA (Reuters) - A top ally of Congolese President Joseph Kabila on Saturday raised the possibility of a constitutional referendum to alter the number of terms he can serve, defying opponents and western powers who insist Kabila should leave office this year.

Term limits in Democratic Republic of Congo's 2006 constitution bar Kabila, who has ruled the central African country since 2001, from running for a third elected term in a presidential poll scheduled for November.