Rwanda: Exiled Opposition Planning for Presidential Elections
Kigali, September 29 (RNA) - An exiled group of bitter critics to the authorities in Kigali say they will take part in the 2010 presidential elections after the current term of President Paul Kagame ends, RNA reports.
The Unified Democratic Forces - FDU Inkingi said Monday that its political council which met in The Hague (The Netherlands) had ruled that that the group should take part in the elections as a counter measure to the continued dominance of the Rwanda Patriotic Front - RPF.
In its usual stance, often dismissing any progress in Rwanda, the Dutch based group said it would compete "alone or with other political organisations" with a mission to "put in place a democratic multiparty regime", according to a statement signed by its hard-talking head Ms Victoire Ingabire.
Rwandans are just coming out of a parliamentary election contest that saw the ruling RPF and a coalition of six small parties scooping 42 of the 80-member Lower Chamber. Its largely weak two opponents only shared 11 seats between themselves.
In the 2003 Presidential elections, all these parties backed President Paul Kagame - who was running on the RPF ticket - ushering him in with an unassailable landslide at more than 97% of the vote.
His only probable rival, former Prime Minister Faustin Twagiramungu managed to attract less than 3%, in a vote tally he described as 'unbelievable'. Though out of the country, he has since disappeared from the political scene - not even commenting in the media - a stunt he had been accustomed.
The other candidate Ms. Alivera Mukabaramba decided at the last moment to hand her votes to Mr. Kagame. She is now a Senator from among the Presidential Appointees to the Upper House.
Critics, including the European Union dismissed the polls as having been marred by irregularities - accusations the electoral commission said were baseless.
According to Rwanda's 2002 Constitution, a political organization out of the country is not allowed to take part in any political process - meaning FDU Inkingi would have to register locally.
Presidential terms run for seven years, parliamentarians going for 5 and the senators for 8 years.
It will be the first exiled political grouping to express interest to compete in the polls in the country - as political observers say the playing field is increasingly becoming more open to numerous players. (End)
Rwanda News Agency/Agence Rwandaise d'Information
(ARI/RNA)
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