Rwanda to organize national referendum over president term limit

A team of seven lawyers has been appointed by the Rwandan Cabinet to organize a national referendum that will decide on whether or not to amend a restrictive article 101 of the country's organic law in a move to allow President Paul Kagame to run for a third term in 2017, an official source revealed Thursday.

Among the seven members of the commission that were nominated during a meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame, it includes former long-serving lawyers, academics as well senior civil servants in the former and the current regime in Kigali.

Analysts pointed out that it would not be a hard task for the country to amend the constitution yet more than three millions of Rwandan population have already signed a petition seeking to allow incumbent President Paul Kagame to be reelected as candidate of the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) for the next election in 2017.

This petition has pushed both Rwandan parliament and Senate to approve a new draft law on the general referendum, but this was still pending to be signed by President Paul Kagame to be enacted into law.

The current Rwanda Constitution was promulgated in May 2003 during the referendum in which 42 percent of Rwandan voters endorsed it.

The existing constitution lays stress on the need to prevent genocide, combating ethnic division, installing the rule of law, peaceful resolution of conflicts, promoting equality among all Rwandans and power sharing between a semi-presidential and a two-chamber National Assembly.

But the amendement that will allow president Kagame, who took office in May 2003 after winning 95 percent of the votes to extend his rule, would also give the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) a chance to consolidate what it calls the "community development projects" and foster "national unity and reconciliation".

For political analysts, it is not surprising that Kagame is being pushed to run for a third term, considering his popularity, especially because of the socio-economic progress made by the country under his rule, since the former rebel group and current RPF took power after ousting the ruling regime in July 1994.

Kagame is seen by most people as using his political agenda, popularity and achievements by strengthening national security and stability and also by attracting foreign investors. Endit