KINSHASA (Reuters) - Lawmakers loyal to Congolese President Joseph Kabila gave initial backing on Monday to a bill requiring a national census before a 2016 election, overcoming protests by opposition legislators who said the move would delay the vote by years.
By law, Kabila will not be able to stand for re-election next year and critics say the census is a strategy to prolong his time in office while avoiding the potentially tricky issue of constitutional change.
