Hungry for Truth, Peace and Justice

By Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza

President, FDU-INKINGI

Lausanne, November 8, 2009

Since its inception in 2006, our party, FDU-INKINGI demarcated itself from other political parties in Rwanda, by a progressive, pragmatic, proactive and innovative learning approach. We especially learned a lot from our mistakes. This allowed us to build a political project whose consistency and strength are marked firstly by the ancient and present history of our country on one hand and by the values which must characterize our political actions on the other hand. I surely think that until now, we are the only political organization to have clearly defined both our target group and the founding values of our political actions.

First of all, the party FDU-INKINGI defined their main target which is the suburban and rural world. Indeed, aware that the rural population represents over 80% of the Rwandan population and that an increasing number of citizens are afflicted by current campaigns of land expropriation and live in the periphery of urban centers, the  party FDU-INKINGI is determined to be a strong voice of these voiceless people.

In terms of values, they include, beyond all fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, equality and freedom, individual autonomy, solidarity, popular participation, duty of memory, decentralization and sustainable development.

The party FDU-INKINGI is aware that the genocide and crimes against humanity committed between 1990 and 1996 have left severe wounds that are difficult to heal within the Rwandan population. Lessons must be learned, without taboos or subterfuge. It is imperative for us to establish institutions that guarantee, as the apple of one’s eyes, the right to life and personal safety and protect groups against the national obsession with collective disappearance. And it is through the highly inclusive Inter-Rwandan Dialogue, which we will immediately convene, that such an institutional formula should be found. Additionally, justice must be done, but it must be done for all. The Gacaca courts have been instrumentalized by those who would like to derail the work of truth, memory and reconciliation. The party FDU-INKINGI is convinced that these infamous courts, which are a complete perversion of the Rwandan custom and culture should be abolished without delay. A classic court would then take over all pending cases. The judicial system must be cleaned up. It must be totally independent from the executive branch and must reflect in its composition and its philosophy the best interests of the nation.

This issue raises another one, the political institutions. Instead of being instruments of oppression, as they appear today, the party FDU-INKINGI aims at installing political institutions that provide reassurance and reflect a genuine national solidarity by establishing a concordance democracy, decentralization of powers, a political participation at the grassroots level and the rise of a free civil society. All liberticidal laws, such as the current law on the press, political parties and NGOs, will be repealed and put to taste the participative democracy.

State institutions should inspire confidence from the whole population. In particular, the security forces must be depoliticized and serve instead of one person or one political party, but the whole nation.

On the economic plan, the party FDU-INKINGI believes that the gray matter and the central geolinguistic position (Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili, French, even though the current government pays no attention to these three languages, and English) are the main resources to build a national wealth. A small country, with no oil, no coveted natural resources, must invest within its boundaries and abroad in the areas where it can demonstrate a comparative advantage: communications, civil engineering, agricultural engineering, renewable energy, banking and insurance industries, tourism niches and healthcare.

In particular, agricultural policy must promote family ownerships and seek food security. Monoculture should not be a rule and needed agricultural reforms should not be abruptly imposed. Such agrarian reforms must convince producers in the agricultural sector about the correctness of the policy of choice.

Concerning education, the party FDU-INKINGI is in favor of a compulsory schooling system up to 16 years of age and a functional literacy program for adults will be launched on a large scale. The current system of financing higher education is elitist. We will generalize vocational skill trainings for at least 70% of the youth with 18 years of age.

Health is not a commodity. The party FDU-INKINGI intends to install a more important medical coverage on a large scale, with the proliferation of healthcare centers. A plan for free healthcare to the poor must be put in place. It is unacceptable that a patient be denied healthcare due to lack of income.

The party FDU-INKINGI will link political decisions to the extent of long-term effects on future generations as well as any new operating license to environmental impacts. Our future generations should absolutely not inherit from us a catastrophic legacy on biodiversity. After the deforestation of the Mutara locality, the Nyungwe and Gishwati forests must jealously be protected. Each district, with the full participation of young people, will be invited to plant as many trees as there are births per year.

The image of Rwanda abroad has been severely tarnished for its military adventures in the DRC. Currently, the country solely inspires distrust. The party FDU-INKINGI will work to normalize relations with all neighbors and resolve all disputes that constitute the root cause of such distrust. It is in this context that the refugee problem will be a priority for our political agenda. Also political and economic integration in the cultural and economic spaces much wider will constitute the mainstay of our foreign policy. This approach is meant to allow brighter prospects for young people who will provide technical expertise and enjoy a true cultural integration free of the horrors of ethnic fundamentalism.

That is, in summary, the added value that the party FDU-INKINGI brings to the Rwandan people compared to other political parties that operate inside Rwanda or abroad. However, I know that many of you would particularly like to know why we decided to participate in the upcoming presidential elections. Therefore, ask all of your questions and if I can convince you, it will be my turn to ask you to support us.

It’s now time for questions.

Thank you.