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Republic of Congo's former PM opposes constitutional amendment

Xinhua, June 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

Republic of Congo's former prime minister Ange Edouard Poungui on Monday expressed opposition to a proposed amendment of the constitution, which might open the door to a presidential third term.

"We have told the president that the 2002 Constitution should not be changed," Poungui told media in Brazzaville, urging dialogues over the issue, after a meeting with President Denis Sassou N'Guesso.

Poungui, 73, served as prime minister between 1984 to 1989 during the single party rule of Sassou N'Guesso. He is now a senator and a member of the main opposition party -- PanAfrican Union for Social Democracy.

Since May 20, N'Guesso has been meeting with representatives of political parties, civil society groups and religious leaders to discuss "the state of the nation", in a push for the constitutional amendment.

The country's 2002 Constitution sets a two-term limit to the president, signifying that N'Guesso should leave office after his second term ends in 2016. Endi