Kayumba Nyamwasa is accused of making false statements to "discredit the party"
The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) has told off exiled Rwandan General Kayumba Nyamwasa, whom it accuses of making false statements “meant to discredit the party.”
A statement released by party leader Frank Habineza condemns claims by the former Army Chief of Staff of the Rwanda Defence Force that the Green Party is a creation of the Rwandan president, in a case in which Mr Nyamwasa and others filed against Kigali in the African Court on Human and People’s rights (ACHPR).
“The DGPR is a people's party and was created by Rwandans thirsty for democratic change while all those on-lookers were comfortable in their plum government positions before their fall from grace,” said Mr Habineza.
Mr Habineza and Mr Nyamwasa’s differences are linked to both politicians’ attempts to block the August 2015 constitutional amendment referendum that allowed President Paul Kagame to run for a third term.
While General Nyamwasa filed his case at the Arusha-based ACHPR, Habineza’s DGPR petitioned the Supreme Court of Rwanda. Mr Nyamwasa, however, called the Green
Party’s move a sham and maintained that it was “intended to lend legitimacy to the process of constitutional amendment.”
“We are saddened that someone of high calibre like him, and who was previously accused of having participated in the creation of this party, could turn around and make such false accusations, knowing very well how hard it has been for this party to reach where it is today,” said Mr Habineza.
While the Supreme Court dismissed Mr Habineza’s bid in October 2015, just after the referendum that sanctioned the constitutional change, the ACHPR dismissed Kayumba’s application last week, saying that “the subject of the applicant’s request has been overtaken by events and the case was no longer relevant."
Mr Habineza who was recently fronted by his party to challenge President Paul Kagame in the coming August presidential elections maintains that his party is not influenced by anybody who is not its member.
This is the first time that the DGPR, which considers itself the only opposition party in the country, has verbally attacked the exiled Rwandan general,, whom it accuses of “careless leadership and loss of reality.”
Previously, the party had been sympathising with him, and was among the first to condemn armed attacks against him in South Africa where he lives in exile.