Hungry for Truth, Peace and Justice

Rwanda: Ingabire “honeymoon” will not be open-ended-Kagame

By RNA reporter
February 8, 2010

Kigali: President Paul Kagame said Monday that the “honeymoon” of fiery opposition politician Ms. Ingabire Victoire will come to an end at some point with the law taking its course, also affirming his personal position on the controversial politician, RNA reports.

Describing her as “this madam I have heard provoking a lot of noise,” President Kagame told journalists that Ms. Ingabire is making comments and doing all her activities illegally, and as an “individual” because her party has not been registered.

“Some call her opposition leader, presidential candidate…she has not fulfilled any of that. Whoever describes her as so is just because of the pity they have for her. There are some things that have not been granted to her by the law,” said Kagame.

Mr. Kagame said on her arrival early last month, Ingabire may have wanted to be arrested because it would raise her profile. “Usually, you do not give somebody what they expect, but you give them what has been done through normal procedures,” he said.

“However, everything has a number of years it takes, it has a lifespan,” Mr. Kagame said, affirming that at some point the law will have to take its course.

“Even in honeymoons where people get married, and then go on holiday. They will have the holiday with lots of fun but it comes to an end at a certain point. Staying in that holiday cannot yield anything,” the President said.

“Even the good things [Ingabire] is continuously undermining, should be having a point of end. That is the beauty of the law. The law creates scopes for everything” he said.

“As for my personal opinion on this lady I heard provoking a lot of noise, I leave it to the institutions and the law,” he said, in a mixture of Kinyarwanda and English. “It does not have to be an issue of my personal opinion or whoever else’s. The bottom-line is that there is the law which everybody must abide by.”

“In that case, I will leave everything to the institutions and those responsible for enforcing the law because Rwanda is and wishes to be a country of laws, which respects the rights of everybody …all Rwandan,” he pointed out.

“The moment you do not follow the law, it is in order that those responsible for enforcing the law need to put you where you belong. I think you should be complaining that what is supposed to be done it is taking longer or the other way round, but it will not be open-ended,” he said.

The President added that his responsibility is to ensure that the security of Rwandans is not compromised. “What I can say is that [Ingabire] or anybody else will not compromise the security of Rwandans till this moment, and even after any other time when I am asked to explain whether I fulfilled my responsibilities.”

On the August 09 elections, Mr. Kagame said he would want to have a poll that does not “cause disruptions” to the day-today activities in the country. “People should be able to continue with their life,” he said, adding that elections should be a “normal process”.

Mr. Kagame also said the polls will have some “constants” such as “peace, stability and security” that will allow Rwandans to “fully and fully” express themselves as to who they want to be their next “leader or leaders for that matter”.

Asked to clarify whether he will stand in the polls, Mr. Kagame said his decision to take part is decided by the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF). He said considering his performance, there is no reason he cannot be given another chance.

“However, I usually do not take things for granted,” he said, adding that the RPF will name him if it feels he can deliver. This is a position the President has maintained, even after the ruling party has already elected him for another term as its leader.

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posted by Mamadou Kouyate @ 2:17 PM