Rwanda: PS-Imberakuri petitions authorities over Ntaganda

By Nasra Bishumba
The New Times-Rwanda
Friday 2nd of April, 2010

Christine Mukabunani is consulted by Noel Hakizimfura as Samson Mwiseneza looks on during the press conference yesterday. (Photo/ J. Mbanda).

The leadership of PS Imberakuri political party has appealed to relevant authorities to intervene in solving the issues between the party and its former President, Bernard Ntaganda, the party’s vice president, Christine Mukabunane, has said.

In a press conference yesterday, Mukabunane told members of the media that even after being removed from the helm of the party, Ntaganda has continued to be a problem.

“We decided to first solve the issue internally and relieved him of his duties as the party president, but that seemed not to have solved the problem. Right now, we have written to the relevant authorities to intervene in the matter,” she said

Mukabunane said that for instance, financially, the party is operating with support from its members because Ntaganda had refused to hand over relevant bank documents.

Ntaganda was removed from the helm of the party last month for allegedly promoting divisionism and associating with terrorists.

Mukabunane dismissed Ntaganda’s claims that members of PS Imberakuri had been intimidated and some of their leaders temporarily detained.

“We are an opposition party, but I can assure you that nobody has jailed me. I took a decision to join this party and I think I am old enough not to be intimidated into anything,” she said

Samson Dusingize, who represents the party in the Western Province, said that he had not received any reports of harassment and intimidation.

“No one has come to my office to report any form of harassment. The issue here is that some people feel that they are above the law. Ntaganda is spreading the wrong information because he never imagined that he could leave the presidency of the party, but the party members took a decision and it cannot be reversed,” he said

According to Faustin Nkekabahizi, who was also part of the PS Imberakuri entourage of ten, Ntaganda’s undoing was that he drifted from the party’s core mission and allied with goups that have been blacklisted both locally and internationally as terrorists.

“Of course we started this party with Ntaganda and we had a good plan. When Ntaganda said that he was going to Europe, we held a meeting. You can imagine our shock when we heard the news that he had signed an agreement with other political factions without the party’s consent,” he said.