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Parties in Rwanda seek rival against President Kagame

Thursday January 19 2017

Several political parties that backed the amendment of the Constitution to remove term limits and allow President Paul Kagame to run in this year’s presidential election, now say they will field presidential candidates of their own.

Eleven political parties are recognised in Rwanda and all except the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) backed the referendum to amend the Constitution, approved in December 2015.

Despite backing the removal of term limits, several of these pro-government parties are now saying that they will be participating in the August polls, either by fielding candidates or forming coalitions with others to run against President Kagame.

READ: Green Party man to face President Kagame in 2017 election

The Social Democratic Party (PSD), considered the second largest party after the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF)-Inkotanyi, says it will field its own candidate to run against President Kagame, or perhaps form a coalition.

“We have started the process with meetings to prepare for the January 29 political bureau meeting, which will also lay the ground for the June national party congress.”

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“From these meetings, we will determine whether to field a candidate or form a coalition with other parties, but as a principal, PSD will field a candidate,” the party president Dr Vincent Biruta told The EastAfrican

The party, which fronted Dr Jean Damascene Ntawukuriryayo in the 2010 election, says it is certain that it will participate in the election and it is currently mobilising resources among its members.

Dr Ntawukuriryayo, who came in second in 2010 with 5.15 per cent of the vote, is unlikely to be the candidate after losing clout in the party.

Dr Biruta said the PSD has not decided on a candidate but the national congress scheduled for June 3-4 will choose one out of the many who are likely to express interest.

Landslide victory

Political pundits predict a landslide for President Kagame, who will be going for a third term as the flagbearer of the ruling party RPF-Inkotanyi. The participation of the parties in the election however is seen as important by some.

READ: With little opposition within, Kagame’s biggest worry will be external

The Liberal Party (PL) considered the third largest party, says it is set to hold a national congress to decide the way forward ahead of the August election. The party fielded Prosper Higiro in the 2010 election, who emerged third.

“We are going to meet and come up with a strategy for the election. As a party we will participate in the election but as of now, we are waiting for the party congress to decide,” Donatille Mukabalisa, the party president, told The EastAfrican.

PL, one of the oldest parties, was shaken by internal wrangles in 2015, involving the former party head and ambassador to Ethiopia, Protais Mitali. He was accused of embezzling party funds before he fled into exile.

READ: Rwanda issues arrest warrant for former envoy

Several other small parties, such as the Centrist Democratic Party (PDC) led by Agnes Mukabaranga and the Ideal Democratic Party (PDI) led by former minister of internal security Musa Fazil Harerimana, say they will rally behind President Kagame.

“Our stand has been very clear. We will support President Kagame because we believe he is the right candidate for us and we have a right to do so. Our reasons have been clear — he has led the country to where we want it to be,” Ms Mukabaranga said in an interview.

Others including Parti Sociale (PS) Imberakuri are yet to decide on the way forward.

“We haven’t decided yet but we will have our position declared in a few weeks,” said Christine Mukabunani, the party head.

Rwandan political parties have been criticised for lacking the ability to challenge the ruling party but proponents of the “consensual model of democracy” the country adopted after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi say the current set up serves Rwanda better after years of political and civil strife.

“In the past, political parties were a source of hatred and violence but this changed after the genocide. One cannot rule out the role of the political parties today simply because they are not up in arms against the government,” says Dr Venuste Karambizi, a lecturer and political analyst.

Dr Karambizi says confrontational politics metamorphosed into ethnic hatred, leading to people killing each other, so Rwanda is better off with the consensual model of politics.

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