Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | Wednesday 9/16/2015 - 19:21 GMT
The Democratic Republic of Congo's President Joseph Kabila on Wednesday sacked two party leaders from government roles after they published an open letter warning him against any attempt to cling to power.
Kabila dismissed his security advisor Pierre Lumbi and planning minister Olivier Kamitatu, according to presidential orders read on state television.
Lumbi is head of the Social Movement for Renewal (MSR), the second-biggest party forming the "presidential majority" that backs Kabila, and Kamitatu is the head of the smaller Alliance for the Renewal of Congo (ARC).
The MSR and ARC are part of a group of seven parties known as the G7, which previously supported Kabila but warned, first in February and then in an open letter published Monday, that Kabila must not seek a third term in elections due at the end of next year.
Kabila, in office since 2001, is constitutionally ineligible for next year's poll as he nears the end of a second elected term, but his foes accuse him of wanting to stay in office.
The political climate in the country is tense after a deadly crackdown in January on violent anti-government protests in Kinshasa and other cities.
On Tuesday, an opposition rally ended in violent clashes between the crowd and a small group of attackers believed to be Kabila supporters.
Re-elected in a ballot marred by massive irregularities in 2011, Kabila has declined to speak out about his political intentions.
The G7's open letter warned Kabila against a "suicidal strategy" of deliberately maintaining confusion over the next elections, "leading the majority of Congolese to believe that there are ulterior intentions to not respect the constitution".
The presidential orders against Lumbi and Kamitatu said they had seriously failed in their duties.
"If the failure is having openly called for respect of the constitution, then I accept that and will deal with the consequences," Kamitatu told AFP.
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