Monday, October 26, 2009

Rwanda: National Electoral Commission (NEC) ignores UDF-Inkingi’s request to participate in the Draft Electoral Code debate

By UDF-Inkingi
October 21, 2009

Photo: UDF Secretary General, Dr Jean-Baptiste Mberabahizi, Ignored by NEC Chairman.

National Electoral Commission Chairperson Prof. Chrysologue KARANGWA has so far ignored a request by UDF-Inkingi to participate in drafting the Electoral Code.

In a letter sent on the 29th of May 2009 to the NEC Chairperson, UDF-Inkingi Secretary General Dr. Jean-Baptiste MBERABAHIZI, the Brussels based-organization had officially requested a copy of the Draft Electoral Code currently in debate within the RPF ring-fenced political arena inside the country, but to no avail. The 223 article Draft Electoral Code was prepared by Prof. George LUTZ from Switzerland.

The letter was sent to NEC Headquarters in Kigali, via its Post Office box, by e-mail and by telecopy. About five months later, UDF-Inkingi’s letter remains unanswered. Efforts to reach the NEC Executive Secretary were fruitless as nobody picked the calls.

Even though the organization was able to get an unofficial copy of the proposed Draft Electoral Code, UDF-Inkingi officials were chocked by the treatment reserved to their request by the NEC and the fact that no signal was sent so far that it had the intention to do otherwise in the nearest future.

Prof. C. Karangwa who heads the seven member electoral body proposed by the RPF led Cabinet is a member of the RPF National Executive Committee. His refusal to provide a copy to UDF-Inkingi and the NEC subsequent denial of any UDF-Inkingi’s contribution to drafting the electoral law shows among other evidences the partisan character of the current NEC.

NEC’s legal framework, its composition, rules and procedures as well as the general atmosphere of fear instilled in the general public before and during all previous electoral processes make it a highly suspect and questionable electoral body.

UDF-Inkingi SG Dr Jean-Baptiste Mberabahizi, a former MP in the RPF led National Transitional Assembly and former RPF Executive cadre, says that such an uncivilized and weird attitude on behalf of the NEC Chairman proves its total unwillingness and inability to prepare and conduct with impartiality and objectivity of the planned presidential exercise, a move that will make it most likely another mockery of election if nothing changes.

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