Liberal Party (PL) lawmaker Polycarpe Gatete has resigned his parliamentary seat in the Chamber of Deputies and posts in the party.

Gatete who is also one of the local investors tendered in his resignation letter to the Speaker of Chamber of Deputies Alfred Mukezamfura on Wednesday.

On the same day, he quit PL posts where he has been serving on the executive committee and party head of Kigali City.

In the letter, he said he resigned for personal reasons, but never gave details.

On Thursday, PL party President, Protais Mitali confirmed development, saying: "Gatete has resigned his parliamentary seat and administrative posts in the party but he is still a PL member.”

"I intent to invite him as the party president, we sit and talk about his resignation, but it is his right to tell me the reasons why he resigned or not,” Mitali added.

Gatete’s resignation comes few days after the PL parliamentary committee stopped him from chairing the committee and elected vice president of the Senate, Prosper Higiro as the chair.

Sources close to the committee say that Gatete was alleged to have indirectly inspired former party members Elie Ngirabakunzi and Esiae Murashi to rebel against the top party management.

But, Mitali denied any links of Gatete to the embattled former MPs.
and lost their parliamentary seats. They filed a suit in court and the case is now in the Supreme Court.

Gatete’s resignation reduces the number of PL lawmakers from seven to six and increases the number of vacant seat in the August House to three.

When contacted, Gatete confirmed saying: "I resigned on personal reasons that I feel I should not divulged.

I have already sent resignation letter to the President, PL party president, and the speaker of Parliament.”

Recently, former army commander and Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) lawmaker Sam Kanyemera Kaka also resigned from the Lower House.

The vacant seats will remain unoccupied until the parliamentary mandate expires on October 10, 2008.
Legally no one is supposed to join the House a year ahead of the end of the parliament mandate.

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