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[AfricaRealities] Rwanda: The Democratic Green Party and their resiliency

 

 

Progress under pressure: The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and their resiliency

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By: Jennifer Fierberg

The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda has had a very busy season and year. The DGPR has been the first political party to register their political organization inside Rwanda and hold meetings with leaders, members and potential members. There have been obstacles along the way and false information to overcome but that is part and parcel in politics.

The DGPR is led by the strong man of President Frank Habineza. Mr. Habineza has faced overwhelming obstacles to fulfill his goal of being an active member of society inside Rwanda while having the ability to promote his political party. Shortly before the Rwanda national elections in 2010, Mr. Habineza's Vice President, André Kagwa Rwisereka, was found beheaded on the side of the road. No prosecution or arrests have ever been made in the case of this brutally murdered man.

Just before the DGPR was allowed to register earlier this year the Rwandan Parliament passed a law that prohibits political organizations from fundraising or accepting funds from outside sources. This new law has severely hindered the Greens from being able to survive financially but despite this challenge they are managing to continue gain new members and build a strong party.

Within the last month President Habineza visited the United States under the invitation of the  US Government's International Visitor Leadership Program: Young African Leaders: Grassroots Democracy and Midterm Elections (October 20th –November 7th 2014) which is a prestigious honor afforded to recognized young leaders from Africa. Mr. Habineza was able to witness the voting process in the US from the front row and see how an established democratic process works in the United States. In a press release, Mr. Habineza stated:

"This program was organized by the US's State Department in collaboration with different stake holders.

It was conducted in Washington DC, New Hampshire, Missouri, Kansas and North Carolina, between October 20th – 7th November 2014. It brought together seven Young African Leaders from Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, South Sudan, Swaziland and DRC.  It aimed at examining the democratic form of government in the United States and the significance of citizens' participation in the democratic process.
The delegates were able to observe several activities of citizen action groups and how they interact with American elected officials at the municipal, local, state and federal levels to influence political, social, and economic change as well as to promote transparency and accountability at all levels of society."

Upon returning to Rwanda, Mr. Habineza completed a series of trainings he had planned before he left the country to visit the U.S. In a separate press statement he stated:

"The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda is pleased to inform members of the media and the general public that it successfully conducted a leadership and Environmental Management Training for the members of the Political Bureau on 22nd November 2014.

The training focused on the roles of party members in environmental protection, analysis of the environmental protection law and the party commitments on environmental protection as outlined in the Party's political program.

Party leaders also had a chance to be refreshed on the party's ideology. Democracy Promotion was emphasized as the party's first priority and the term 'Green' as not standing just for environmental protection but rather for an ideology that has six pillars, including: social justice, non-violence, sustainable development, respect for diversity and the promotion of human rights.

Members of the Political bureau were also trained on issues concerning gender and the role of women in decision making, political leadership, conflict management and the general principals of politics."

Much has been said about the DGPR in the press and on social media about their legitimacy and concern for their protection. Mr. Habineza is no stranger to these attacks, both personally and professionally, and he certainly takes good care to guard himself and his party members. This young man is quite smart and his stand inside Rwanda has made history. The DGPR is the first party to be able to successfully register their party under in a police state similar to that of North Korea.

In one of their boldest statements yet, the DGPR has just announced today in another press release (see DGPR's Stand on the Proposed Lifting of Presidential Term Limits from Rwanda's Constitution ) that they are against changing the constitution inside Rwanda that would lift the term limits on presidential candidates which would allow the current president, Paul Kagame, to stand for a 3rd term in the next election in 2017. President Kagame has come under international pressure regarding his negative human rights record over the last 20 years and his lack of open space in regards to freedom of the press and political space. President Kagame made a move in that open political space by allowing the DGPR to officially register their party but, as noted earlier, it is done with the challenge of not allowing this party to raise funds from outside donors and only inside the country. Yet, as the President of Rwanda well knows, the majority of the country lives on less than one US dollar per day and donating to a political party is not a budget worthy item when one cannot feed their family. It is an interesting double standard Kagame has placed when his government relies on financial assistance from foreign countries in an amount that totals just under half of their national annual budget.

Mr. Habineza has made his late Vice President proud by continuing to press forward, despite the obstacles the ruling party throws them, with their mission of promoting democracy in Rwanda.

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