The Rwanda Green Party has been having trouble getting registered as a political party. Various blocks have been put in their way, including disruption of their meetings by people supporting the ruling party of President Paul Kagama.
It seems that Kagame is setting off down the path that leads to dictatorship.
We in the UK have a handle on this situation, because Rwanda joined the Commonwealth recently. The Commonwealth was pleased to do this, in the hope of strengthening Rwanda's recovery from their civil war. They are leaning over backwards to encourage Kagame; but for the sake of peace and security in Rwanda, the Commonwealth should press him to forbid political assassinations by his party, to find and try the killers of Andre Rwisereka, and allow democratic and peaceful opposition parties to be registered.
Here is my letter to the Commonwealth Secretariat. Please copy, paste and send it. My March letter has not been answered, but the Commonwealth does usually answer letters. If you only have time for an e-contact, this is the link: info@commonwealth.int .
For completeness, the March letter is at the foot.
Thank you for helping people for whom there is more to politics than writing and reading blogs...
______________________________________________________________________________
July 15th 2010
Mr Kamalesh Sharma
Secretary General of the Commonwealth
Marlborough House,
Pall Mall,
London SW1Y 5HX
Political freedom in Rwanda
Further to my letter of March 22nd, expressing my concern at the threat to democratic progress in Rwanda posed by President Kagame’s reluctance to permit the registration of the Rwandan Democratic Green Party, I am sorry to say that the Vice President of that party has been found dead in circumstances that suggest political assassination.
Please take this matter up with Paul Kagame directly. It appears that his regime is on the downward slope that leads to authoritarian dictatorship, with all that means in terms of security, suffering and economic failure. Clearly he values Commonwealth membership, and the whole point of the Commonwealth is to promote democracy and good governance.
To reiterate a point in my March letter, we value greatly the values of the Commonwealth, but they have to be upheld and defended at all times and in all countries. For one member, albeit a new member with a challenging recent political history, to be allowed to slide away from Commonwealth values of democracy, openness and diversity, could compromise the whole Commonwealth project.
We ask that in the name of the Rwandan people and the good reputation of the Commonwealth, that you take prompt and effective action in meeting with President Kagame and explain to him what is implied by Commonwealth membership in terms of the practice of democracy, and the value and strength of political toleration and diversity in producing good governance.
I would be very grateful for a response to this letter.
Many thanks for taking action in this matter.
Sincerely
________________________________________________________
Monday, March 22, 2010
Mr Kamalesh Sharma
Secretary General of the Commonwealth
Marlborough House,
Pall Mall,
London SW1Y 5HX
Political freedom in Rwanda
We are concerned at a threat to democratic progress in Rwanda, its effect on the Rwandan people and the good name of the Commonwealth as a community that promotes democratic freedom with economic and social development.
We are aware that Rwanda was admitted to the Commonwealth last November despite misgivings about civil liberties in that country, because the Commonwealth was mindful of the challenge that President Kagame’s regime faced in overcoming the legacy of the bitter civil war.
However, it is clear that since admission, the situation has not improved. The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda was prevented from holding its congress on unclear grounds of security at several occasions last year, and still finds itself unable to do so.
It should be noted that the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda has a membership that is taken from all classes and ethnic groups, and subscribes to the common ecological and social justice values of the other 75 Green Parties that are currently in existence.
Two other Rwandan political parties also find themselves unable to act freely.
President Kagame has indicated on February 8th that he is setting up a ‘wall of laws’ to crush any dissent. These laws include:
The provisions of the 2003 Constitution against “genocide ideology” that are used to suppress freedom of speech and create a climate of fear in civil society. Censorship is widespread and the government has a record of shutting down independent media outlets, and harassing journalists
The restrictive laws governing independent associations severely hamper general civil society. There are serious concerns about the level of political freedom and the fact that the body in charge of registering political parties is still controlled by the ruling Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF)
There are many criticisms of Gacaca ‘courts’, which have officially closed, but are alleged to produce injustice and heighten ethnic hatred. They are said to be postponing indefinitely the reconciliation issue; they have been marred by faulty procedures, judicial corruption, false testimony and not enabling the right to a fair trial.
There is severe overcrowding of prisons, where there are more than 70,000 inmates of working age, nearly 2% of the population, many of whom are without a judiciary dossier for more than 15 years.
There are presidential elections this year, and clearly there is a need to let opposition parties have space to operate politically without harassment and imprisonment of opposition leaders and their supporters.
These are clearly serious allegations. The downward slide from democracy to dictatorship is a well documented path in many countries, and Rwanda is showing many symptoms of that disease.
We value greatly the values of the Commonwealth, but they have to be upheld and defended at all times and in all countries. For one member, albeit a new member with a challenging recent political history, to be allowed to slide away from Commonwealth values of democracy, openness and diversity, could compromise the whole Commonwealth project.
We ask that in the name of the Rwandan people and the good reputation of the Commonwealth, that you take prompt and effective action in meeting with President Kagame and explain to him what is implied by Commonwealth membership in terms of the practice of democracy, and the value and strength of political toleration and diversity in producing good governance.
Many thanks for taking action in this matter.
Sincerely
_______________________________________________
[update] The Global Greens have written in similar vein:
Commonwealth urged to act over Rwandan election unrest
16 July 2010
Caroline Lucas, with other Green Party leaders in the Commonwealth, have written to the Commonwealth Secretary General, urging action after the killing of the deputy leader of the Rwandan Green Party, Andre Kagwa Rwisereka.
The letter (attached) was signed by UK Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, Senator Bob Brown, leader Australian Greens and Russel Norman co-leader, New Zealand Greens. <>
In the lead-up to Rwanda's presidential vote on the 9th August, the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda has been subject to harassment, intimidation, and death threats. Police have broken up party meetings, and the party has been barred from registering or putting up candidates for the election. (1)
The letter calls on Commonwealth's Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma to take urgent steps to enforce the Commonwealth's standards of human rights and democracy in Rwanda. (2)
In part, the joint-letter from Lucas, Brown and Norman reads:
"The death of Green Party Vice President, Mr. Andre Kagwa Rwisereka, who was found dead on 14th July 2010, is a tragic event and we are extremely concerned for the other members of the Rwandan Green Party.
"Mr. Rwisereka's death follows on from a series of events in the last few months that suggest that the Rwandan government is creating or allowing an extremely hostile environment for opposition political parties in the run up to Presidential elections on 9 August.
"Rwanda's membership of the Commonwealth requires that it honors and complies with the Commonwealth's fundamental political principles which include respect for civil society and human rights.
"We urge you to immediately send a team of Commonwealth representatives to Rwanda to ensure the Government is taking all steps possible to ensure respect for rights to freedom of expression, freedom of association and peaceful assembly of opposition parties."
Notes
2) This week, Reporters Without Borders also called on the European Union and other donors to suspend financial support for the election because of "a series of grave press freedom violations."
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