Commonwealth sends assessment team

A team composed of senior officials of the Commonwealth organisation is in Kigali to assess the country’s eligibility to join the 53-nation grouping. Rwanda applied to join the organisation in 2003. The delegation held talks Monday with the Minister of Foreign affairs, Rosemary Museminali, and is also expected to meet other senior Government officials, political party leaders, Members of Parliament and the civil society. According to new membership regulations, “the Secretary General of the Commonwealth should carry out an informal assessment of the ability of the country concerned to meet the membership criteria”. The team will assess the election system, the level of democracy, governance and the judiciary, among others.