Constitution & Elections

Foreign & Commonwealth office on Rwanda's 2010 elections

[Your Name Here] — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:56:57 +0000

Minister for Africa, Henry Bellingham has made a statement following the presidential elections in Rwanda. After the election, Minister Bellingham said:

"As a friend of Rwanda and a fellow Commonwealth member we welcome the peaceful and credibly administered Presidential Elections on 9 August. Rwanda has made huge strides since 1994 and these elections represent another important stage in the country’s development.

We are concerned about incidents in the run up to the election involving restrictions on political and media freedoms and the ability of opposition parties to register. We have raised these concerns with the Government of Rwanda. We await the report and findings of the Commonwealth mission which observed the elections."

Further information

British High Commission in Rwanda website
More information on the Commonwealth

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=News&id=22695654

See Commonwealth interim statement here

The Constitution

[Your Name Here] — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:23:15 +0000

A new Rwandan constitution was adopted by referendum in 2003. The first post-war presidential and legislative elections were held in August and September 2003, respectively. The Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) led the government with goals to promote reconciliation and unity among all Rwandans through the new constitution. This meant forbidding any political activity or discrimination based on race, ethnicity or religion.

Right of return to Rwandans displaced between 1959 and 1994 was enshrined in the constitution and the constitution guarantees "All persons originating from Rwanda and their descendants shall, upon their request, be entitled to Rwandan nationality" and "No Rwandan shall be banished from the country."

Rwanda vs. Germany: Germany, who also survived a genocide, did not repeal their Weimar Constitution; instead they made it easier to change in order to take out discriminating language. Rwanda, coming from a genocide, started a fresh, new constitution to combat discrimination in the country.