Aspiring party hit by internal wrangles

KIGALI - Hardly before it gets the green light to operate in the country, the aspiring Democratic Green Party of Rwanda is already embroiled in internal wrangles threatening to tear apart the infant political organization. Two weeks ago, the party called a convention that ended in chaos triggered by disagreements among party loyalists who accused the interim executive of being ‘hoodwinked’ by foreign interests and failing to come up with a tangible national program for the party. This wrangling has already forced some founding members to call it a day, quitting the political organization as it struggles to meet registration requirements. One of the key members to quit the infant party includes its interim Secretary General, Andrew Muganwa, who threw in the towel over what sources attributed to ‘dictatorial tendencies’ of the current interim President. “This is simply a surrogate political party sponsored by foreign forces and designed to create subversion, insecurity and division,” Aimable Kanamugire, a member of the party who attended the botched convention told The New Times. Kanamugire attributed the chaos that broke up during the party’s maiden convention to discontent from party members bitter with its leadership that ‘spent time repeatedly chorusing’ what foreign forces wanted them to do instead of ‘presenting a tangible national agenda.’ “The party has no formal line it follows---it is remote-controlled by foreign interests and there’s a lot of internal confusion. Its leadership hardly has an agenda for this nation and this has been a source of frustration for many of potential members,” Kanamugire said. “They have been promising us money claiming that they have a strong network from the larger world wide green movement, but from the look of things, these funds are benefitting a few individuals.” Kanamugire said party members were also bitter when they learnt of a recent meeting between their interim President and some diplomats accredited to Kigali where they were ‘coached’ on what kind of message to preach to their followers. Sources say the meeting held at Hotel Gorillas was coordinated by the First Counsellor in the Belgian Embassy and attracted two other infant political groupings. “The youth should be particularly careful about the intentions of the Green party,” Kanamugire insisted. “The Ministry of Justice and Nyarugenge District officials who had in the past issued permission for these groups, should look carefully into their agenda before issuing a permit.” The violence that broke up two weeks ago among party loyalists is also partly attributed to rowdy members of the new breakaway function led by the party’s former Secretary General, Andrew Muganwa. Muganwa fell out with interim president Frank Habineza over what party insiders described as ‘a fight for power supremacy.’ In an email sent to The New Times yesterday, the interim leadership of the green party failed to explain the cause of violence during their convention and insisted that their party was not controlled by foreign forces. Frank Habineza is a former Personal Assistant to former Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Drocella Mugorewera, who fled into exile. It is said that the two are still closely in touch. Ends

National

Aspiring party hit by internal wrangles