Editor,

Reference is made to Joseph Rwagatare’s article, "Rwandans have rights and choices, and right to exercise them” (The New Times, June 16).

Rwandans today, in our overwhelming majority, refuse to be pigeon-holed or be told how to live and to organize our society by those who arrogate to themselves that authority. And the more they attempt to impose their will on us the harder we push back.

Our recent tragic history has imprinted on our consciousness the fact nobody owes us anything; that we are solely responsible for our own fate, good or bad. That knowledge means we are not prepared to cede control of our affairs to anyone else.

If we ever err in our choices, we shall at least know that we are fully responsible, and own the consequences.

The best outsiders could do is to respect our determination to choose our own path, and for them to desist from injecting themselves into choices that must remain entirely the preserve of any sovereign people.

As we would never consider interjecting ourselves into their sovereign decision-making, so should they too respect our wish for them to keep out of our internal governance issues.

Respect among nations has to be mutual, otherwise it becomes impossible.

Contrary to what some might believe, term limits are not an effective shield against the depredations of a corrupt or an incompetent leader. Even one or two terms are sufficient time for an incompetent, corrupt or a dictatorial leader to bring his country to its knees.

The solution is not to wait him or her term(s) out but to take positive action to get such a person out of a position where they might continue to damage the national interest, through an impeachment or a popular recall vote.

Contrary to what people might think, because painful times seem longer than normal ones, Idi Amin’s misrule in Uganda was less than ten years (1971-79). And yet the malignant effects of his misrule can still be felt to this day.

Some might of course aver that getting rid of a non-performing national leader through a recall or impeachment process is extremely difficult, if not impossible, and that term limits are therefore the best option as they impose programmed departures that elected leaders must respect.

But why do people believe that such leaders, if they are sufficiently determined, cannot ignore those term limits and retain power beyond them?

At the end of the day, the only safeguard against such leaders and their misrule is an educated, informed and engaged citizenry that refuses to acquiesce in their own exploitation or subjugation.

Mwene Kalinda