Constitutional referendum to be held next week

President Paul Kagame has called a referendum on the revised Constitution. According to resolutions from yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, the Cabinet subsequently set December 17 as the date on which Rwandans in the Diaspora will vote on the revised Constitution, while those inside the country will go to the polls on December 18. The 2003 Constitution was recently revised by both chambers of Parliament after the lawmakers received petitions from more than 3.7 million adult Rwandans – about 60 per cent of voters – imploring them to initiate a constitutional amendment process to waive presidential term limits from the supreme law. This, the petitioners said, would make President Kagame eligible to stand for elections come 2017 when his second term comes to an end. They credited Kagame with the countrys dramatic change in fortunes over the last two decades, including recovery from the devastation of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and the ongoing economic transformation, saying his continued stewardship would lead to further gains. The Constitution limits presidents to a maximum of two seven-year terms. Last month, a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Anastase Murekezi urged the President to call a referendum just days after Parliament had overwhelmingly passed the draft Constitution, and asked government to organise a referendum. According to the current Constitution, any changes to Article 101 of the Constitution, which concerns presidential term limits, can only be endorsed by the people through a referendum. But such changes need to first get endorsed by at least a two thirds majority from each chamber of the bicameral Parliament (Senate and Chamber of Deputies). In the revised Constitution, the lawmakers maintained presidential term limits, reducing the length of a single term from seven down to five years – that can be renewed once –, but these changes would be preceded by a transitional period of a seven-year presidential term. This transition would begin at the end of the current presidency in 2017 and Kagame or any other candidate would be eligible to seek election for the transitional mandate, as well as subsequent terms of five years each. Kagame has not stated whether he would seek another term should the law allow him to do so, only telling a meeting of the governing Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) last Sunday that he would take a stand after the referendum. Otherchanges to the Constitution include revision of the length and terms of Senators as well as the Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice, with the draft suggesting five year terms, renewable only once. Yesterday’s Cabinet meeting also approved several presidential, prime-minister’s and ministerial orders, draft bills and policies, and financing agreements with international institutions. It also nominated and approved new diplomats and officials. The Cabinet meeting approved Maria Eugenia Correa Olarte and Raza Bashir Tarar as the ambassadors of Colombia and Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Rwanda, respectively, with both resident in Nairobi, Kenya. The meeting, chaired by President Kagame, also nominated Amb. Williams Nkurunziza, as the new Rwandan envoy to Turkey. Nkurunziza has been the country’s ambassador to the United Kingdom while Ceasar Kayizari has been Rwanda’s envoy to Turkey. Nkurunziza’s nomination is subject to senatorial approval. Also appointed by the Cabinet include Col. Emmanuel Gashaija, who becomes the Defence Attaché at the Rwandan embassy in Russia; Serge Kamuhinda, who becomes the Chief Operating Officer of Rwanda Development Board (RDB), among others. The Cabinet also approved the creation of a new institution, Rwanda Convention Bureau, which would operate as private company.

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Constitutional referendum to be held next week