Rwanda: Urgent Demand for Correction of Article titled "U-Turn from Green Party amid registration uncertainty"

By Frank Habineza
Founding President,
Democratic Green Party of Rwanda
B.P. 6334
KIGALI, RWANDA

May 13,  2010

The News Editor
Rwanda News Agency
KIGALI, RWANDA

Dear Editor,

Subject : Urgent Demand for Correction of Article titled : U-Turn from Green Party amid registration uncertainty

We are so much disturbed and concerned with the way you interpreted our Declaration on Non-Violence in your article published on Tuesday 11 May, titled "U-Turn from Green Party amid registration uncertainty". We urgently request you to make the following corrections :

1. The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, has not made any U-Turn. We are still an opposition party but we believe in the Global Greens Charter and African Greens Charter, which oblige us to respect the principle of Non-Violence. This is not something new, our party has always been non violent, but we wanted to clear out any misconceptions on us. We have no soldiers, we don’t work with FDLR as some media houses have claimed and we don’t support war or any other causes of war. The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda is not a party for those who may have intentions to throw the country backwards in bloodshed. It’s a party deeply rooted in green ideology, which can be found on our website : www.rwandagreendemocrats.org, or on www.africangreens.org and www.globalgreens.org

2. NO, we haven’t distanced ourselves from opposition colleagues ; we believe that any one is innocent until proven guilty. We demand fair trial and immediate justice. We believe that justice delayed is justice denied.

3. The Permanent Consultative Council of Opposition Parties in Rwanda that we established in February 2010, still exists even though it has been affected with the problems happening in PS Imberakuri.

4. Recognizing achievements made by the RPF led Government does not make the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda an RPF Wing Party but it’s something any reasoning person or group can recognize. We believe that we should give credit where it’s due and criticize where necessary.

5. We believe in a constructive opposition, like the one in UK, which allows the Conservatives to put aside their differences and work together with the Liberal Democrats and at the same time send the ruling Labour back in the opposition. So we don’t see anything unreasonable to appreciate the good things that have been achieved and that does not make us loose our political line.

6. We remain an opposition party and we are not going to fight with any one, we come with a message of peace and hope. We thank you very much in advance for taking care of our serious concern by publishing another article. Yours Sincerely

Frank HABINEZA
Founding President,
Democratic Green Party of Rwanda

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Rwanda: U-Turn from Green Party amid registration uncertainty