The parliamentarians and Senatorial consultations with Rwandese nears the end of the end. And in the end views collected are overwhelming. Overwhelming on one thing. {{NO CHANGE COME 2017}}. As I have pointed out severally, you need to be a Rwandan to understand Rwandans. Otherwise one gets lost in the narrative of flat third term myth held dear in the west as if these understand every situation in the development world, to the extent that, every situation will fit that same term narrative. I have pointed out severally that, unless one factors in Rwanda’s peculiar context one ends up making grave error of judgment against Rwandans judgment as to the choice they are making. A choice informed by our heinous past, our miraculous turn round present against all odds unimaginable and more importantly a very uncertain future if you correlate our past, and present ignoring the fundamental factor – exemplary leadership of President Paul Kagame.
{{Rwandese Speak.}}
Rwandese of all ages and shades or creed are unanimous as the environmental scanning of Rwanda. In each meeting with our law makers national as well as personal stories of fundamental social-economic transformation our country has registered were told. They talked out their hearts as to their memories of their terribly abnormal Rwanda defined by everything imperfect and not worth the name nation state as it was characterised by the very few entitled either due to their region (north), the military and few connected to the same. Majority of the rest Rwandese lived in abject poverty manifested by widespread infection of giggers and malnutrition and other diseases of the poor. They talked of unbelievable unity and reconciliation that is still too fragile to experiment with, they talked of visible change in their standards of living and how they owe it to the exemplary leadership of President Paul Kagame and how he has passionately ensured that designed policies were pursued to the letter, and that delivery percolated to every Rwandese. They talked of countrywide unprecedented security model President Kagame has used to ensure that people and their properties are as safe as they can be. Even former FDLR fighters who have been integrated in our defence forces or even in civil life have had their lives changed for real. They talked of infrastructure that is of envy in the region and of miraculous economic growth a case study in the development discourse only akin to Singaporean miraculous growth and development regardless of limited or no resources to talk about. At the end of each session these compatriots had this to say: you are delaying the process of changing our constitution to enable President Paul Kagame carry on his exemplary delivery to all. The turn up in each meeting was unbelievably large and as the law makers wind up their consultation, there is overwhelming support for amending article 101 and other article deemed outdated and irrelevant to new Rwanda. Going by the overwhelming resolve to amend article 101, the referendum subsequent is a done deal. Besides the views of ordinary Rwandese, leaders of political parties endorsed the views of their respective members. 10 out of 11 registered party leaders argued that they supported the views of majority Rwandese. They had no choice anyway.
{{Sceptics should listen to the voice of Rwandese.}}
Sceptics have advanced all sorts of fallacious theories especially on social media ranging from the fact that, Rwandese were forced to sign petitions sent to the parliament. Questions is: were they forced to speak their mind to our law makers? They also advanced such theory that, President Kagame wants third term. If he did, the process we have gone through to request him stand again in 2017 was unnecessary. as pointed out earlier, it would have been the easiest part of our homework had he requested the same for Rwandese for we would have given it to him on a gold platter on the account of his exemplary performance that has transformed our country in a record time in the history of economic recovery or even economic development. And so, these sceptics most of which are negative forces and their allies mainly FDLR and their cohorts have come face to face with the reality. Rwandese have spoken. The voice of Rwandese people during the parliamentary and senatorial consultations with Rwandese holds all answers. Answers that no one can ignore, under-rate, understate, discount or even ignore to please a set negative mind-set. Who are hell bent to turn the clock back. They can’t . Will never. This is not an opinion. It is fact.
If democracy is the will of the people and that there is nothing like universal model of democracy as each model serves a given people to cater for their peculiar/unique circumstances then sceptics who have of late made a lot of noise should listen to Rwandese. They have spoken. They have made their choice as to what leadership they need and deserve. The will of the people is too powerful to resist. Too overwhelming to stand on the way. And so the fallacious and distortionally political opportunists and idealists political marketeers powered by negative energy especially genocide deniers, revisionists and negotionists and their allies have no choice but to respect the will of Rwandese. The reverse would be an insult to national intelligence and a bully to our national integrity and conscious. In Rwandese culture, such is met with a furry that none Rwandese can’t understand as they didn’t for this very home work. For our brother Frank Habineza of Green Party of Rwanda I say, go with the rational adage: ‘ if you can’t beat them, join them’. Join us. You will not lose in this. We are all winners.
{{In the END.}}
The consultations have confirmed the unanimity of Rwandese in their unity of purpose as to their future a future that becomes bleak and blurred if one factors out the exemplary leadership of President Paul Kagame. What has emerged also are the divergent views not so much on lifting the term limits but rather as to how many terms President Pual Kagame should run. Various limits were proposed ranging from two to five terms. Their fears are that if we open up for good we may get a bad leader who we may be stuck with for far too long. I personal differ with limiting terms. In my opinion we should lift term limits for good and peg our leaders’ term on delivery to our country. We should go the German/UK model where performance determines how long a lead is in office. The danger with closing the terms after President Kagame finishes his service to our country is that, we may get another good leader who will have been a good student of President Kagame, and limit his presumed good delivery. We shall then be a country of referenda to change term limits over and over. What we should do though is that, we should put guidelines in our constitution that enable us to remove/recall none performing leaders as and when they happen to emerge. We should come up with a version of democracy that is really Rwandans void of foreign dictates or cut and paste methodologies that are simply simplistic. Running a country and a developing one for that matter, is not simplistic as activists paid to make lots of noise want people to believe. It is not a job for faint hearted or average mortals but one for selected few, which is why most leaders have failed where our own succeeded. An answer to our homework, and an end to our debate.
{ {{To be continued…}} }
Professor Nshuti Manasseh
An Economist and A financial Expert.
Email:nshutim[at]gmail.com
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