Presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that was scheduled to take place in November could be delayed to December 2018, a move that the opposition has claimed is part of President Joseph Kabila’s plan to cling onto power beyond the constitutional two-term limit.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) told a multi-party meeting that it would conclude updating the voter register by July 31, next year and require at least 500 days to organize the poll, Reuters reported.

“The issue before us today in Congo is how to reconcile the electoral cycle with the technical constraints we face,” Africa News quoted Corneille Nangaa, CENI president.

The delay is likely to fuel tensions in the mineral-rich country, as opposition supporters rallied by their leaders have already staged protests.

At least 50 people including at least six police officers were killed in Kinshasa, the capital, last month when security personnel opened fire on demonstrators who protested the election delay, Insider reported.

Party headquarters of Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), Forces of Union and Solidarity (FONUS) and the Lumumbist Progressive Movement (MLP), the three main opposition parties were torched and several shops and police stations were also looted and burned.

Moise Katumbi, the opposition leader has been embroiled in a battle with the nation’s security forces over claims that he hired foreign mercenaries as part of his security team.

The government issued a warrant of arrest against the wealthy politician. He fled the nation but vowed to return and challenge for the presidency.

The charges are considered by many as the government’s plan to intimidate him and other opposition voices who authorities consider to be dissidents.

Kabila took power in 2001 to succeed his late father, Laurent Kabila who was assassinated. He is bound by the constitutional-term limit to step down in December, when his two-term end.

The anticipated delay comes four months after the constitutional court ruled that Kabila should stay in power if there are election delays, Thestar.com reported.

The United States government imposed sanctions on Maj Gen Gabriel Amisi, who is in-charge of security in four provinces and John Numbi, a former senior police officer.

The decision to freeze their assets in the US is seen by many as a response to Kabila’s decision to violently suppress the opposition, The Guardian reported.

The war-torn West African country has never seen a peaceful transition of power since it attained independence in 1960.