Senators call for increased participation in dialogue

Members of the Senate yesterday recommended the government to keep sensitising citizens about the principle of seeking solutions through discussions and make it a duty for everyone to contribute ideas that benefit their communities. The legislators made the call after members of the senatorial Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Human Rights and Petitions, made a presentation of their assessment of how Rwandans respect the constitutional principle of the constant quest for solutions through dialogue and consensus. The principle, along with five others, is enshrined in the country’s Constitution as a fundamental principle on which the State of Rwanda is built. Basically, the senators want Rwandan citizens and their leaders to understand that open discussion is critical in the successful planning and execution of all the country’s development programmes. Although their assessment shows that Rwandans are doing well on that front, they urged the government to keep pushing for more citizen-led discussions in order to maximise the benefits from social dialogue. The chairperson of the senatorial Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Human Rights and Petitions, Gallican Niyongana, said that there is a need for leaders to design performance indicators on how the principle of seeking solutions through dialogue is respected. “There are some members of society who don’t take time to participate in different occasions of dialogue in their communities and they should be sensitised to take part and contribute their ideas,” he said. Some of those who are not involved enough in different occasions for dialogue at community meetings include working professionals in different fields who are often busy with their work and members of the clergy in different faith-based organisations, Senator Niyongana said. Among the recommendations made by the senators in order to boost citizen participation include strengthening Itorero civic education programme at the grassroots level to ensure that citizens in their communities participate effectively in sharing ideas on how to solve any prevailing problems. “Many citizens still expect all answers to come from their leaders and they tend to ask officials for solutions instead of understanding that they are capable of driving the quest for solutions of their own problems,” said Senator Margaret Nyagahura, the deputy chairperson of the committee. But she noted that some citizens have started understanding that they can speak up and seek more accountability and better services from their leaders which, she said, should be encouraged more. Senator Tito Rutaremara, noted that ordinary Rwandans have an advanced understanding of their role in solving their problems and all they need is to be encouraged to keep doing so. Under article 10 of the Rwandan Constitution, there are six fundamental principles that the State of Rwanda commits itself to uphold and ensure that they are respected. Apart from the constant quest for solutions through dialogue and consensus, other principles include the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide, fighting against denial and revisionism of genocide as well as eradication of genocide ideology and all its manifestations. Eradication of discrimination and divisionism based on ethnicity, region or on any other ground as well as promotion of national unity are also part of the principles, along with equitable power sharing, building a State governed by the rule of law, a pluralistic democratic Government, and the equality of all Rwandans and between men and women. The equality between men and women is further affirmed in the country’s supreme law by the principle that women shall occupy at least 30 per cent of positions in decision-making organs. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Senators call for increased participation in dialogue