True democracy shouldn’t hinder people from electing the leader they want

Editor, In the name of democracy and equal opportunity for economic progress and political fairness for Rwanda, I believe true democracy is about choosing a leader that the people want. Let’s remember the whole foundation of democracy: it’s allowing people to vote for whom they want to represent them, regardless of term limits. Otherwise this limitation undermines the true democratic purpose. Only Rwandans, not the paper, should decide who is best for our country.Why limit our leader to only two terms if his years are the very best years economically and politically? In Rwanda, our motherland, our President Paul Kagame, who led the forces that ended the Genocide, was, for many years, praised by various world leaders. Bill Clinton called him “one of the greatest leaders of our time”, and Tony Blair a “visionary leader”, among others.Our country Rwanda has made remarkable progress over 19 years since the Genocide against the Tutsi, and our President Kagame continues to be hailed by the international community as the visionary leader behind Rwanda’s miraculous rise and dramatic success.In USA, on July 18th 1940, US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was nominated for a third presidential term at the Democratic Party convention in Chicago. Roosevelt believed it was his duty to continue serving and lead his country through the mounting crisis in Europe.In Africa, on April 10th 2009, Algeria President Abdelaziz Bouteflika received 90.24% of the vote in the landslide to win a third five-year term. Election officials announced that, compared to the previous elections, over 74% turned out to vote. Despite the opposition calling for boycott, many of Algeria’s 34 million people chose to turn a deaf ear. His supporters said Bouteflika deserved credit for steering Africa’s second largest country back to stability after the government and Islamists fought a civil conflict in which an estimated 150,000 people were killed in the 1990s.In Latin America, on February 18th 2013, Ecuador President Rafael Correa was re-elected for a third term as president. The 48-year-old Correa has raised living standards for the lower classes and widened the welfare of his people. President Correa said: “This victory is yours. It belongs to our families, to our wife, to our friends, our neighbours, and the entire nation. We are only here to serve you. Nothing for us, everything for you, a people who have become dignified in being free.” Geoffrey Murangira, Ottawa – Canada

Opinions

True democracy shouldn’t hinder people from electing the leader they want