The outgoing Dutch Ambassador to Rwanda, Leoni Cuelenaere, has said that amending the Constitution, just as amending any other law, is an issue that falls in the hands of Rwandans alone.

VIDEO: Outgoing Dutch Envoy speaks about Constitutional Amendment. Source: The New Times/YouTube

Cuelenaere made the remarks as she addressed the media, yesterday, at Parliament Buildings after paying a courtesy call on Speaker Donatille Mukabalisa.

The visit was mainly in line with preparations for next month’s visit by Dutch parliamentarians.

Cuelenaere and Mukabalisa discussed issues of cooperation and the ongoing process of amending Article 101 of the Constitution that governs the presidential term of office.

"I was curious about the procedures toward a national referendum. I am a lawyer by training and I wanted to know how things work here. My view is that amending the law, amending the Constitution is first and foremost an issue of Rwanda and Rwandans,” she said.

According to Article 193 of the Constitution, a referendum to amend presidential term limits can take place after the proposal has been backed by three-quarters of both chambers of Parliament.

On Tuesday, both chambers of Parliament endorsed the petitions of 3,784,586 Rwandans who wrote to both the Lower House and the Senate, seeking an initiation of the process to amend Article 101 of the Constitution.

The Chamber of Deputies, which had all the 80 MPs present, saw 79 lawmakers support the petitions while the 26-member Senate endorsed the petitions by 23 out of 24 senators who were available in the House.

Rwanda, Netherlands cooperation commendable

Cuelenaere said Rwanda – Netherlands cooperation focuses on, among others, private sector development, and agriculture to ensure food security.

The two countries also recently started collaboration in water management because Netherlands, being at a very low altitude with some parts of the country below the sea level, has acquired competences in dealing with water.

"We have a very tight, close and good partnership and a lot of back and forth visits have been made during my three-year term. The Dutch minister for trade and development cooperation, Lilianne Ploumen, has been here twice. Our foreign minister and deputy minister for justice have been here too. Rwandan ministers for Foreign Affairs, Justice and Agriculture, have recently been to Netherlands, all in an effort to bolster relations,” Amb. Cuelenaere said.

During her visit in November last year, Ploumen hailed the land registration programme in the country, saying it had not only helped reduce land wrangles but also enabled land owners to secure bank loans to lift themselves out of poverty.

Mukabalisa commended the cooperation during Cuelenaere’s tenure.

"We have seen tremendous cooperation over the past three years. We cooperated to put up Isange One-Stop Centres, good governance and decentralisation, and more. We also have fantastic cooperation in the justice sector, especially in Gacaca archiving,” she said.

Cuelenaere, who has served as Dutch envoy to Rwanda since August 2012, bade farewell to President Paul Kagame, last week, at Village Urugwiro and she will leave the country next week.

Cuelenaere said she will miss Rwanda for quite many reasons including the country’s hospitality, fantastic climate, Rwandan macadamia nuts and coffee.