12-18 October 2015

1. Constitutional review team presented its draft amendment of Constitution 

Private but pro-government newspapers

Rwanda Focus, 15th October 2015 “MPs support draft amendment of Constitution” by Stevenson Mugisha

• The Constitutional review team presented a draft of the amendment of the Constitution to Parliament, which approved the proposal by 98.6%.
• The team’s rapporteur, Jeanne d’Arc Uwimanimpaye, noted that there are several amendments in the draft among them, the amendment of article 101 which limits the president to only two terms in office. The amendment will allow a President to serve more than two terms, each limited to 7 years as has been the case.
• The draft also proposes that the minimum age for a President should be 35 years.
• Although the draft of the amendment of the Constitution has been given the green light by members of parliaments, it will have to first been approved by both chambers of Parliament separately, after which a referendum will be held to decide whether to amend article 101 of the Constitution.
• Commenting on the draft, MP Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi said: “I strongly support this draft because it’s in line with the demands of millions of Rwandans who filed petitions to Parliament asking for the amendment of article 101 of the Constitution to allow President Paul Kagame more term in office.”