Rwanda votes overwhelmingly to allow Kagame seek another two terms in office

Saturday, December 19, 2015.

Kigali Rwanda

Rwanda has held a referendum that seeks to allow President Paul Kagame to seek an extra term in office as the president of Rwanda. Kagame has already served the maximum 2, seven year terms in office according to the Rwandese constitution and was expected to retire when the term comes to the end. The constitution has however changed the situation.

Todays referendum has given Kagame a free will to have a 7 year term and to seek a new two 5 year term in office and the landslide victory of over 98% can now be justified as the will of the Rwandese people.

From a Millitary Leader to a statesman.

The president is a former military leader in Rwanda coming from the Tutsi minority and from a country that suffered genocide in the 1994. Rwandese people are seen to have high trust to the leadership of Paul Kagame who helped install a military government during Rwandese turmoil that came after the assassination of the former Rwandese president, the late Juvenal Habyarimana a Hutu. The death of Habyarimana made Hutu extremist and Hutu militias unleash genocide against Tutsis and other moderate Hutus.

Bizimungu, a Hutu became president with Kagame, a Tutsi serving as his vice president through Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF). Kagame was however regarded the RPF strong man and Bizimungu as just an installed figure. He later resigned due to pressure from critics for failing to fight corruption

RPF fought to install a military government that translated to a democracy in the tiny East African country. The international community is often blamed for not intervening during the Rwandan genocide where over a million people died.

That situation seems to have shaped Rwanda to have very high trust in their Kagame. Kagame has however been accused of being a dictator by critics for his position against the opposition. He is seen to have toppled Bizimungu forcing him to resign and later oppressing his political move associating it to Hutu extremism.

He has risen to earn praise in his leadership style in handling the Rwandese economy where he has fought corruption to enable the economy of land locked Rwanda to flourish.

Continue reading Broad Notes for new and events shaping the world.