Last week, Paul Kagame of Rwanda was sworn in for his fourth time period in workplace, thereby including one other 5 years to the 24 he has spent. By the time this new time period is over in 2029, he could have formally ruled Rwanda for 29 years with out making an allowance for the unofficial six years he was accountable for Rwanda.
As the previous insurgent commander of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, whose forces swept to energy in 1994, Kagame was the vice chairman and minister of defence of Rwanda between 1994 and 2000. However, he was seen because the de facto president as a result of he wielded extra energy than the de jure president, Pasteur Bizimungu, who ultimately resigned, with Kagame taking up. It is alleged that Bizimungu was compelled to resign. In 2001, Bizimungu based the Party for Democratic Renewal, however Kagame’s new authorities instantly proscribed it. Bizimungu was subsequently tried and handed a 15-year jail time period for making an attempt to kind a militia, inciting violence, and corruption, however was pardoned three years later by Kagame.
Therefore, if these six years of Kagame because the de facto chief of the nation are added to the 24 years he has ruled Rwanda, that will probably be 30 years in energy, with one other 5 years secured this yr.
Another fascinating level about Kagame’s victory within the July 15 Rwandan election was that he gained with over 99.18 per cent of the vote solid, thereby beating his personal previous data. Kagame, who will probably be 67 in October, set a document when he gained the 2017 election with 98.63 per cent of the vote. In 2010, he gained with 93 per cent, whereas in 2003, he secured 95 per cent.
Rwanda’s National Electoral Commission, which stated that voter turnout was a staggering 98 per cent, had disqualified some presidential aspirants, together with Kagame’s fiercest critics, from collaborating within the election. It allowed two candidates to contest in opposition to him. While the Democratic Green Party’s candidate, Frank Habineza, scored 0.53 per cent, Philippe Mpayimana, who ran as an unbiased candidate, acquired 0.32 per cent of the vote.
Kagame has been among the finest presidents Africa has produced within the twenty first century. He has introduced stability and progress to Rwanda, turning it from the land of obscurity and genocide to a most popular vacationer centre in Africa. The nation has at all times featured among the many fastest-growing economies, not simply in Africa however on the earth. Its capital Kigali can be known as the cleanest metropolis in Africa.
Under the management of Kagame, Rwanda has additionally constantly held the document of the nation with the very best proportion of feminine illustration in parliament. The proportion of girls within the Rwandan parliament is normally above 60. In 2023, whereas Rwanda had 61.25 per cent feminine legislators, solely two different international locations had extra girls than males within the legislature: Nicaragua (51.65 per cent) and New Zealand (50.42 per cent).
However, Kagame’s critics accuse him of suppressing all types of opposition and dissent. Kagame is accused of getting a picture of a champion of democracy and good governance overseas, which conflicts with the dictatorial picture he has at dwelling.
This doesn’t faze those that have the view that third-world international locations want “benevolent dictators” to speedily rework them and meet up with the developed international locations. They cite international locations like Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and China as examples. They argue that growing international locations have weak establishments that can’t take unbiased steps that may rework international locations.
But regardless of Kagame’s achievements, it appears historical past might repeat itself in Rwanda. It’s impossible Kagame will ever wish to reside in Rwanda as an ex-president. Therefore, Kagame might wish to cling to energy and be a life president.
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Muammar Gaddafi of Libya was an awesome chief to Libyans however he didn’t finish effectively as a result of he stayed too lengthy in energy. Robert Mugabe led the Zimbabwean independence in 1980, making Bob Marley to sing a track for the nation titled “Zimbabwe”, however Mugabe didn’t finish effectively as a result of he stayed too lengthy in energy.
For anyone who actually desires to create some milestones whereas holding a political publish, particularly that of the president of a rustic, about 10 years is sufficient for that. That Kagame has not been capable of finding a successor after over 20 years factors to an issue.
Some may argue that Kagame is constructing “a solid foundation” for Rwanda. They may level at Singapore the place Lee Kuan Yew ruled as prime minister from 1959 to 1990 (31 years). But the lure of energy is harmful. The second political leaders see themselves as the one individuals who can govern a rustic efficiently, it blunts their sense of judgement. They equate themselves unknowingly with the state. They begin to see their wishes because the wishes of the nation. Anybody who opposes them turns into an enemy and a saboteur that should be taken out. The solely folks they belief grow to be those that reward them and inform them solely what they wish to hear.
Kagame has finished effectively for Rwanda. One needs that there have been extra African leaders together with his sort of imaginative and prescient and dedication to growth. It is shocking that it’s the similar Rwanda that had gory scenes of genocide in 1994 that one sees nowadays. He found that ethnic loyalty is maybe the most important downside most African international locations face, which creates perennial crises and stunts their development.
Therefore, he took decisive legislative steps to remove ethnic identification. In 2001, legal guidelines in opposition to ethnic divisionism and discrimination had been handed and are enshrined within the 2003 structure. The penalty for breaching these legal guidelines contains lengthy jail phrases and heavy fines. The Rwandan state promotes the ideology of ndi umunyarwanda (“I am Rwandan”) or Rwandan nationality as the one welcome identification. Rwandans now see themselves as Rwandans and never as Hutu or Tutsi or Twa. Rwandans at the moment are taught that Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa ethnic identification was a divisive mechanism imposed by Belgian colonials who wished to make their rule extra profitable.
It is now thought-about impolite and divisive for even a customer to ask Rwandans about their ethnic teams. The thought behind that is to make it simpler for Rwandans to construct a nation through which they see each other as compatriots and decide folks based mostly on the power of their character somewhat than their ethnicity, which was what led to the 1994 genocide and the a long time of backwardness and strife that preceded the genocide.
Some folks might argue that ethnic identification shouldn’t be suppressed with laws, however that patriotism must be taught and allowed to naturally take root. However, there are some delicate parallels in developed international locations. In most Western international locations, it’s in opposition to the legislation to ask somebody: “Where are you from?” It can be in opposition to the legislation to ask folks their gender, age, race, marital standing, and the like throughout processes like recruitment. These are seen as discriminatory instruments. Those who’ve been requested such questions can sue those that requested the questions.
But regardless of the achievements recorded by Kagame, there’s a want for him to consider what Rwanda will probably be with out him. Does he ask himself what’s going to occur to Rwanda if he all of a sudden has a deadly coronary heart assault or aircraft crash? Has he constructed a rustic that may survive and proceed to run seamlessly with out him? Even if he doesn’t consider in permitting democracy to decide on a successor, why has he not groomed somebody within the 30 years he has been in energy to succeed him?
It is harmful to hold the destiny of a rustic of 14 million on one human being. It will probably be heartbreaking for the progress made by Rwanda to be reversed by an unexpected circumstance or an rebellion attributable to discontent. No matter how good a pacesetter is, the followers will in the future grow to be weary of seeing the identical face for many years. Africa wants to start out creating a number of examples of true democracies.
–X: @ModelAzuka