3 - 7 August , 2015
Media Monitoring Report for Rwanda (3 - 7 August , 2015)
Posted on August 19, 2015
Compiled by Berta Fürstová
Report content
- Academics and clerics push for lifting of term limits
- Countrywide consultations on term limits concluded
- FDLR teaming up with Imbonerakure in Burundi, says ICGLR report
1. Academics and clerics push for lifting of term limits
Private but pro-government newspapers
New Times, 4th August 2015 “Academics, clerics push for lifting of term limits” by Eugene Kwibuka
- Religious leaders and academics have backed a popular proposal to scrap presidential term limits. They presented their views during a meeting with a team of senators.
- Most speakers lauded President Kagame’s leadership and argued that term limits should be scrapped to enable him realise his dream of turning Rwanda into a middle income country by the year 2020.
- “Article 101 cannot be the barrier to people’s choice. President Kagame is a hero and an honourable person; we cannot let him go when we still need him,” said Aloys Ruzibiza, a lecturer at Kigali Independent University.
- Pastor Claude Niyonzima said: “We need Kagame and only Kagame.”
- Laurent Mugabo, a lawyer, told senators that he wrote a petition to Parliament asking for the amendment of Article 101 of the Constitution because he wants President Kagame to stay in power beyond 2017 so that he can help realise the country’s Vision 2020.
2. Countrywide consultations on term limits concluded
Private but pro-government newspapers
New Times, 5th August 2015. “MPs conclude countrywide consultations on term limits” by Eugene Kwibuka
- Legislators have completed countrywide consultations with citizens on calls to amend Article 101 of the Constitution to allow the continued leadership of President Paul Kagame after his term of office expires in 2017.
- “The turn-up was high and people expressed their views freely,” Senate vice-president Jeanne d’Arc Gakuba told The New Times.
- Deputy Speaker Abbas Mukama said: “People exercised their right to expression and they gave different ideas which will inform our deliberations.”
- Instead of closing business and going for recess as it usually happens in August, MPs will hold special sessions, largely to deliberate on the issue of the citizens’ demands to scrap term limits from the Constitution. “People want us to fast-track the process to respond to their wishes. We won’t go on recess this month,” Mukama said.
- Within the next 10 days, reports from the countrywide consultations will be tabled in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate and lawmakers invited to discuss the findings and decide on whether to put the issue to a referendum.
- According to the New Times, it is most likely that the lawmakers will approve the citizens’ call.
3. FDLR teaming up with Imbonerakure in Burundi, says ICGLR report
Private but pro-government newspapers
New Times, 9th August 2015. “ICGLR to consider report on alleged presence of FDLR in Burundi” by James Karuhanga
- A verification report on the alleged presence of the FDLR in Burundi was presented to members of the ICGLR by the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM).
- Unconfirmed reports indicated that the FDLR militia was teaming up with Imbonerakure, a youth wing of Burundi’s ruling party in harassing and attacking members of opposition political parties.
- According to various reports, FDLR elements were posing as police officers. Burundi government officials have publically denied claims that FDLR militia are operating in Bujumbura.
- The Executive Secretary of the ICGLR, Prof. Ntumba Luaba, is reported to have informed the Chairman of the ICGLR Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee, Georges R. Chicoti, on the military operations against the FDLR.