Category: Politics

Lourenco to take power in Angola as MPLA wins election

Angola’s ruling MPLA won this week’s election, a poll official announced Thursday, with party candidate Joao Lourenco now set to succeed President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos who has ruled for 38 years.

An election commission official in Luanda said the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) had won just over 64 percent of the ballot.

The partial results from Wednesday’s vote account for two-thirds of all polling stations, with the MPLA building an unassailable lead over its rivals.

The party, which has ruled since Angola’s hard-fought independence from Portugal in 1975, had predicted an easy victory, but the outcome indicated a fall in its support since the previous election in 2012.

Dos Santos, a secretive and much-criticised leader who announced his retirement earlier 2017, handpicked veteran party loyalist Lourenco, 63, as his successor.

Lourenco, until recently defence minister, has vowed to boost foreign investment and said he wants to be recognized as a leader who brought an “economic miracle” to the southern African country.

He is expected to formally assume power in September.

The two main opposition parties, Unita and Casa-CE, immediately alleged that the vote count was flawed.

August 25, 2017
Uhuru files defence against Nasa petition

President Uhuru Kenyatta legal team on Thursday filed his response to an election petition challenging his win filed by National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga.

The President’s lawyers said they will file documents “but not all of them” Adding “They are confident that there is nothing to worry about in the petition as the election was peaceful.”

“We are confident about the answers we give, We are bullish about everything we have done. And let the case start. We are ready, ” said Mr. Abdullahi one of the lawyers said

Earlier, a message was posted on President Kenyatta’s Facebook account read: We are now ready to file our response.

In the pictures, the President was flanked by Jubilee Party Chief Agent Davis Chirchir, lawyers Fred Ngatia, Mr. Abdullahi, and Mr. Monari.

Mr. Odinga filed his case challenging President Kenyatta’s election some minutes to midnight on Friday, paving the way for a rigorous, 14-day marathon courtroom battle.
In the petition, the opposition leader and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka have named President Kenyatta, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and its chairman Wafula Chebukati as respondents.

In directions issued by Chief Justice David Maraga, who is also the President of the Supreme Court, Nasa is required to file their written submissions by 1 pm Friday while IEBC, its chairman, and President Kenyatta are required to file theirs by 3 pm.

On Friday morning, parties were supposed to appear in court for interlocutory applications while the pre-trial conference will be held on Saturday.

In affidavits expected to be filed in court, President Kenyatta, his agents Mr. Chirchir, Winnie Guchu, and Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho are among those who filed their statements in opposition to Nasa’s petition.

August 25, 2017
Uhuru Kenyatta defeats Raila Odinga

{The IEBC in Kenya has declared Uhuru Kenyata the duly elected president of the country. lUhuru Kenyatta, in office since 2013, took 54.3% of votes, ahead of his rival Raila Odinga, with 44.7%.}

After the announcement, Mr Kenyatta called for unity, telling opposition supporters: “I reach out to you… We are all citizens of the same republic”.

But the opposition rejected the results even before they were declared, calling the process a “charade”.

However, it has been endorsed by international observers. Mr Kenyatta said they had ensured a “free, fair and credible election”.

Angry protests have started in the city of Kisumu – an opposition stronghold – and in various slums of the capital Nairobi, including Kibera, where businesses are said to have been attacked.

Police, who were deployed in anticipation of the results, have fired tear gas in several locations.

Fires have been lit by protesters on a road in the heart of Kisumu, a BBC reporter at the scene says. Gunshots have also been heard.

Earlier, Mr Odinga’s supporters said he had won, and published their own figures. The electoral commission said this was “illegal and premature”, and said basic mathematical errors had been made.

Many observers fear a repeat of the violence after the disputed election 10 years ago, when more than 1,100 Kenyans died and 600,000 were displaced.a

According to reports from Kenya, Mr Kenyatta has urged peace. “We have seen the results of political violence. And I am certain that there is no single Kenyan who would wish for us to go back to this,” he said.

Ahead of the results, Mr Odinga had called on his supporters to remain calm, but added that he did not control anyone, and that “people want to see justice”.

August 12, 2017
Kenya goes to the polls in closely contested election

{Kenyans are casting their votes to elect a president and a new parliament following weeks of campaigning and claims of a plot to rig the results.}

Polling began at 6.00am (3:00 GMT) and will close at 5.00pm (14:00 GMT) local time with results expected to be announced within seven days.

More than 19 million voters have registered to cast their vote in Tuesday’s election in 40,883 polling stations across the country.

Polling stations were crowded from the early hours of the day, with some voters queuing at stations as early as 1.00am despite the chilly weather of 15 Celcius degrees.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, 55, is seeking a second and final five-year term in office and faces stiff competition from an opposition coalition led by veteran politician RailaOdinga.

{{Odinga, 72, is running for the presidency for the fourth time.
}}

Fourty three-year-old AggreyMwelesa, a father of four who works as a security guard, told Al Jazeera that he was happy to exercise his democratic right by voting in the election and the process was smooth.

“The exercise was smooth. Very calm. I came to the polling station at 2am. I pray for the best man for our country to win,” he said.

Alice Waithaka, a 35-year-old mother of two, said she had been queuing since 4am and did not experience any problems while voting.

Polls have shown the two candidates – Kenyatta the son of the country’s founding father and Odinga former prime minister and son of the country’s vice president – neck and neck.

But no sitting president has ever lost an election in the East African country of 48 million people.

Five years ago Kenyatta defeated Odinga with the former prime minister disputing the results before they were confirmed by the country’s supreme court.

To win the election outright, either presidential candidate must garner at least 50 percent of the votes, plus one. Candidate must also get at least 25 percent of the votes in half of Kenya’s 47 counties to prevent the second round of voting.
If no candidate receives that, the election will go to a runoff, which would be a first in Kenya’s history.

The election is largely being fought over the economy and the courting of the youth vote. More than half of the registered voters are under the age of 35.
Kenyatta is promising to create more than one million new jobs in the country, which has the second biggest economy in the region. He also said he will reduce the cost of living in a country where 47 percent of the 48 million population live below the poverty line.

Odinga, on the other hand, is promising to fight corruption. Transparency International – the global anti-corruption group ranks Kenya 145 out of 176 in its 2016 corruption index.

Odinga has also said he will create jobs for young people and make the country – which in recent years has experienced droughts – food secure.

In an interview with Al Jazeera earlier this week, Odinga said his party has put in place efforts to stop an alleged plot to tamper with results.

“There are attempts to manipulate the results,” Odinga said. “The only way [Kenyatta’s party] can win this election is by rigging.”

The country descended into violence in 2007 after the opposition, led by Odinga, claimed the election results were rigged in favour of the then incumbent MwaiKibaki.
More than 1,000 people were killed in post-election violence and some 600,000 were displaced.

Kenyatta, while addressing a campaign rally last week, denied attempts to rig the elections and said the allegations by opposition leaders were a ploy to form a coalition government.

August 8, 2017
Trump Rages at Republicans as John McCain Kills Obamacare Repeal Bill

{President Donald Trump raged that three Republicans and 48 Democrats had “let the American people down” after a dramatic late-night vote saw a slimmed-down attempt to repeal aspects of the Affordable Care Act fail.}

Three Republican senators—Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and John McCain—voted against the so-called “skinny” repeal, which aimed at scaling back some of the more controversial provisions of Obamacare.

McCain, who has an ongoing war of words with Trump and revealed last week that he was suffering from brain cancer, cast the decisive vote against the bill. In total, 51 senators—the three rogue Republicans, plus all 48 Democratic senators—voted against the repeal, while 49 Republicans voted in favor.

The bill constituted Trump’s third failed attempt to repeal even part of Obamacare. In the early hours of Friday morning, the president tweeted his anger at the failure and said he would now “let Obamacare implode.”

The “skinny” repeal —an eight-page Senate bill titled the Health Care Freedom Act—would have eliminated the individual mandate for all Americans to have health insurance coverage. It would have increased the number of uninsured people by 15 million next year and insurance premiums for people buying insurance on their own would have increased by roughly a fifth, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Among other measures, it would also have cut federal funding to Planned Parenthood for one year and would have gotten rid of funding provided for a variety of public health programs.

Vice-President Mike Pence—who would have cast the decisive vote had the bill been tied—was seen talking to McCain for more than 20 minutes ahead of the vote, the BBC reported. But McCain then approached a group of Democrats before voting the bill down.

McCain said after the vote that he was not convinced that the “shell of a bill” would have meaningfully replaced Obamacare. “While the amendment would have repealed some of Obamacare’s most burdensome regulations, it offered no replacement to actually reform our health care system and deliver affordable, quality health care to our citizens,” said the Arizona senator.

But McCain also re-emphasized his desire to see Obamacare repealed and criticized the way it was passed in the first place.

McCain, a veteran of the Vietnam War, has been an outspoken critic of Trump’s administration, recently saying that American leadership was worse under Trump than former President Barack Obama.

While he was a presidential candidate, Trump said that McCain was “not a war hero” since he was captured and tortured by the North Vietnamese. “I like people who weren’t captured,” said Trump at a 2015 event in Iowa.

But Trump recently changed his tone and praised McCain for returning to the Senate to start the debate on health care legislation after his cancer diagnosis. Trump said on Tuesday that McCain was an “American hero.”

With NewsWeek

July 28, 2017
Without taxes self-reliance impossible – RPF-Inkontanyi

{The nation’s tax policy has been a burning issue during the presidential campaigns, an aspect that as well featured prominently during the live televised presidential debate this week. }

The first live debate was organized by the National Electoral Commission and the State broadcaster Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA), on Tuesday ahead of the August 4th elections.

During the debate, the spokesperson for Rwanda Patriotic Front RPF-Inkotanyi, Wellars Gasamagera disagreed with the promises made by independent candidate Phillipe Mpayimana and Democratic Party Secretary General Jean Claude Ntezimana.

Ntezimana said his party will abolish tax for the youth for at least two years.

“We will speed up economic growth through revising taxes, creating opportunities for the youth, at least by giving them two years-tax holidays. Traders are not happy with the current taxes, which leads to tax evasion and avoidance,” he explained.

The independent candidate Phillipe Mpayimana proposed that he plans to abolish tax on land when he ascends to the Presidential seat.

In response to the land tax platform, Green Party representative Ntezimana asserted that it seems there is no Rwandan who owns land.

In response, Gasamagera replied that Rwanda’s economy is based on assisting the private sector, in the quest of creating employment opportunities, which employment opportunities will, in turn, enable Rwanda to attain a good economic status.

“No achievement can be registered without self-sufficiency; we are talking about self-reliance, all those can’t be realized without taxes. I think that would tantamount to deceiving ourselves if we say that we want to be self-reliant. We want to fund the national budget at 100%.

July 27, 2017
Kagame assures Rubavu residents of consolidating gains

{The RPF-Inkontanyi flag bearer Paul Kagame on Wednesday said that he will consolidate Peace, Security, and Unity in the country during his next term in office.
Kagame made the promise while addressing over 300,000 RFP-Supporters during his third and final rally on Wednesday in Mudende, in Rubavu District. }

“We will achieve great things together. We are building a prosperous and secure nation together…nothing is impossible to a determined people,” he said.

He took the time to thank the people of Rubavu for turning up in big numbers.
Thank you for coming in big numbers. Thank you for showing support to RPF Inkotanyi,” said the President.

He told the people of Rubavu district that if re-elected, he would work to consolidate peace, Security, and unity in the area.

“For so long as we have been working to restore peace, unity and bring development…I want to tell you that After August 4, it will be the same trend.”

Before Rubavu Kagame stopped over in Nyabihu District on the same day, where thousands of his supporters in the district were gathered at Groupe Scolaire Rambura, a secondary school in the district’s Rambura Sector.

He was welcomed with pomp that featured songs about his government’s policies and their resolve to vote for him next month.

The Chairman is today expected to campaign in Karongi and Rutsiro districts of Western Province.

July 27, 2017
2017 Elections: Unity in Diversity

{The second week of campaigns was characterized by huge turn up of Rwandans, and being an early riser and thus turned up early at most venues, I witnessed firsthand zeal by Rwandans especially the rural folk to attend President Kagame’s rallies and emotionally so. }

From young to old, famers to business men, all brought together to support a candidate that has transformed their lives visibly. To foreigners, this may have been mistaken for a religious convention of people that want to give testimonies of how they have been healed, made rich, got married, got children and want more of the same or better still more of more through spiritual powers. Yet these were political rallies of a candidate that touched the hearts and minds of many akin to religious conventional relies. The difference is that, in religious rallies one gets his prayers answered on the basis of faith and hope.

In President Kagame’s rallies, the issue of hope is negated by his historical delivery of all his promises to Rwandans so much so that, his word and deeds are integrated to the highest order possible. And so the thousands that turn up go back home with promises to be fulfilled and not political wish list that is repeated in the next election.

And unlike in many African campaigns where incumbent’s failure is blamed on account meddling in government programs by opposition, stealing of budgeted funds through outright corruption, lack of donor funds name it, in our case such does not happen. Which is why President Kagame’s campaign rallies are more of celebrations of achievements beyond achievements attained and an outline of more and better yet to come. And so his trade mark “imvugo ni yo ngiro” loosely translated as “he delivers what he has promised” has made brand Kagame unassailable, and through this brand Rwanda as a country that delivers.

A senior member of opposition parties allied to RPF and a friend for a while who attended these rallies for the first time alluded to the fact that, really popularity of President Kagame among Rwandans populous and love these have for him is a kin to a religious prophet that delivers miracles, and that no other Rwandan leader will ever marshal such in the foreseeable future.

{{Input of leaders of allied Political Parties.}}

This time round though, leaders of other political parties spoke in support of the candidacy of President Paul Kagame and from their heart. From the leaders of PL to PSD etc, all gave their testimonies as to why they support President Paul Kagame.

In fact, these same leaders are part of ruling coalition that can lay claim to our transformation but acknowledge the exemplary leadership of President Paul Kagame that has baffled them as to the manner in which he has delivered for Rwanda in manner that defeats comprehension and with minimum means financial and human capacities.

This is where foreigners draw confusion. In Rwanda unlike in other democracies, the winner-takes-it all model doesn’t exist. Even after winning overwhelmingly President Kagame and RPF shares with other parties both positions and management of our country. These parties are brought together by unity of purpose i.e socio-economic transformation of our country and their divergence views (ideologies) from social democrats to diehard capitalists put their minds together for the sake of the development of our country. They have trusted and entrusted President Kagame to be their leader for good reasons as has majority of Rwandans. His visionary leadership, tested and certified by experience of delivery that all see and believe in is what draws the masses. And so to foreigners, political competition and complimentarity from within is assigned the tag of limiting political space by the same foreigners who always judge our country out context or worse still mistake Rwanda for another country in their fake media.

There is the co-existence of the political parties in Rwanda to avoid repetition of the negative role some played during the genocide. It is in this line that the post – genocide Rwanda’s political management is a bit unique to suit the Rwandan situation and context, like many other homegrown solutions we have had to use

But this is the product of a hard-earned consensus among most of the country’s political parties, which to some critics is unfamiliar and questionable, because it does not fit in what they have seen elsewhere especially in the west, read about in text books or western coated political lectures that serve different environment than one we live in. But this is mere confusion by foreigners who hold Rwanda’s political as well economic development independent of its contextual framework. And they always get it wrong.

They don’t understand Rwanda or have chosen not too, more so don’t understand President Paul Kagame’s modus operandi. It reminds of me the media hype in UK in 1997 (was a PhD student then) when he was then Vice President and Minister of Defence and announced that he will get medicine for the interahamwe (in Zaire then, now DRC) no matter how much it will cost. Media discounted his intention to cross the border on account of size of Zaire (now DRC) and that Rwanda could not take on such a giant with no means and barely three years after war of liberation of our country.

In fact on defence analyst took mockery of this intention calling a wish and not a military intension given the odds. This same defence analyst argued that it will take our defence forces a minimum of 20 years if ever they reach Kinshasa to topple late Mobutu who had supported interehamwe and Habyarimana’s regime for far too long. When our forces took less than a year to reach Kinshasa (with impassable roads and impenetrable jungle), the same media acknowledged this as a military miracle that can’t be replicated. But this was and is President Paul Kagame that they still mistake regardless. This was to define the capacity and efficiency of our defence forces to guarantee our security within and without our country- all handiwork of President Paul Kagame.
{{
Security is critical to development.}}

“Without a strong economy, there can be no strong defense. Without a strong defense, there can be no Singapore…(read Rwanda) to maintain a strong economy and a strong defense … the government must be led by the ablest, most dedicated and toughest…I think you are a born leader or you are not leader. They must have the extra drive, intellectual verve, an extra tenacity and the will to overcome” (Former Singaporean Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew who transformed his country to what it is today).

One of the strong pillars and indeed cornerstone of our transformation and socio-economic development has been strong (defense) security for our people and their properties whether Rwandans, or foreigners/investors alike. But like other sectors of our development, our security systems evolved by paying an extremely high price. Architects of the same did our country proud and certainly President Paul Kagame has been the main architect, which is why our choice in these and other elections will have to ensure and assure our security and without which the rest of our achievements would evaporate in our eyes.

Our security (defense systems/institutions) have evolved to meet the challenges we faced before, during and after 1994 genocide. During campaigns, sustenance of our current security is an imperative to our political choices for we know more than most the opposite.

By Professor Nshuti Manasseh,
Economist and Financial Expert.

July 25, 2017
NEC asks candidates to observe sanity during election campaign

{{The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has asked Presidential candidates and their supporters to be vigilant against to what may cause disorder during the presidential campaigning period.}}

On July 7, election authorities released the final list of presidential candidates, including Paul Kagame who is representing FPR Inkotanyi, Frank Habineza from Green Party as well as Philippe Mpayimana.

NEC has asked candidates to follow the rules and regulations during the campaigning period, warning that those who violate the rules will be dealt with accordingly, for the first and second time they will warned, for the third time they will be disqualified.

Charles Munyaneza, the NEC executive secretary said “Candidates must inform the district or municipality authorities 24 hours prior to holding campaigns.”

“The residents who will be supporting their respective candidates should conduct themselves in a proper accepted manner; while candidates have been asked not to affront the other since it is normal to have different views in democracy.”

July 12, 2017
We are two nations who understand the horror of genocide-Israel President to Kagame

{Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Monday morning welcomed at his Jerusalem residence Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who was visiting Israel.}

Both Rivlin and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu welcomed President Kagame on the red carpet, and stood for the national anthems of both countries.

Afterwards, the three men went on to make brief public statements.
President Rivlin began by welcoming President Kagame who has been to Israel on several occasions before.

“I know that this visit in particular, will serve to strengthen the friendship between our peoples,” Rivlin said. “Mr. President, I want to congratulate you on your recent speech at AIPAC, and I would like to use your words to say, ‘Israel is, without question, a friend of Rwanda.’”

“We are two nations who understand the horror of genocide, and we must show what humanity can achieve with cooperation and understanding. Indeed, we are not just friends – through MASHAV and other cooperation and partnership, we are working together to solve some of the biggest issues facing humanity; water and food security.

“We know that Rwanda is now going to be member of the UN Human Rights Council. This is a body which is always against Israel, so we welcome all those who are prepared to speak for us.

“We appreciate your support very much. It is a pleasure to welcome you here in Jerusalem.”

President Kagame thanked Rivlin and Netanyahu for their hospitality and warm words.

“I am very pleased to be back in Israel and I want to thank the President, the Prime Minister, and the Government of Israel for this opportunity to reaffirm and deepen our very friendly relationship, between Israel and Rwanda.,” Kagame said.

“Cooperation between our countries has blossomed in many areas among them technology, agriculture, and energy, as well as security. We appreciate what Israel has to offer in these and other fields, and we are very happy to be working with you.

“Trade and investment links have also multiplied. Rwanda is open for business and we look forward to welcoming private sector delegations from Israel even more frequently in the future.

Ever since the Prime Minister’s visit to East Africa last year, Israel has continued to follow through on its commitments and objective of scaling up engagement across Africa this is a very positive trend which can only be welcomed and merits our support.”

“We are looking forward to reinforcing our cooperation with Israel on common challenges and issues of mutual interest.”

Presidents Rivlin and Kagame then went on to hold an extended working meeting, during which President Rivlin noted, “The phrase ‘never again’ is not just a lesson for the Jewish People, it is a lesson for the whole world. We are a member of the family of nations, and we have mutual responsibility to one another.”

Rivlin also emphasized that the presence of countries with whom Israel had friendly relations, in forums like UNESCO encouraged Israel and raised the hope that political and distorted decisions would encounter greater resistance and a stronger demand for the truth.

July 11, 2017