http://the-chronicles.net/index.php/politics/251-exiled-green-party-chief-sure-of-kagames-departure-.htmlExiled Green Party chief sure of Kagame's departure    'Kagame will not change constitution' The leader of the embattled and unregistered Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) says all indications are that President Paul Kagame will not seek to amend the constitution to stay in power– a rare position and insight from an exiled opposition politician. Frank Habineza said the president understands the "big risk" of entrenching himself in power. "Kagame knows very well that it's such a big risk to change the constitution and take on the third term," said Habineza, who took a leading role in organising protests late October at the Commonwealth Summit in Australia against the presence of President Kagame. Habineza's comments add up to those of previous party leaders that have been serialised in The Chronicles in a special report on the period leading up to 2017. The peak of the debate was when the leader of the Ideal Democratic Party (PDI) – who doubles as Internal Security Minister, Sheikh Musa Fazil Harelimana, went on record calling for President Kagame to rule for as long as he wishes and for as long as Rwandans wanted him too. Harerimana then called for amending the constitution to provide for such a possibility. Amending the constitution, Habineza said, "would be a good excuse to take back the country into abyss. I think [Kagame] will pick someone to succeed him." "RPF OYEE, RPF OYEE..." Up until he fled the country last year, Frank Habineza had failed to register the Green Party. In 2009, the police broke up two party meetings which the group claimed were meant to collect signatures for registration. In one particular incident on October 30, 2009, as several hundred party members sat in a conference room, two men started repeatedly chanting 'RPF OYEE' – in reference to the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front. The moment would be followed up by chaos as conference delegates sought to throw the men out. Within minutes, police were at the scene and announced the conference was no more. In the months that followed, bitter public in-fighting erupted in the Green Party. The secretary general Charles Kabanda accused Habineza of undermining party structures. Habineza blamed the ruling party for the rifts. In July last year, its vice president Andre Kagwa Rwisereka was gruesomely murdered in the Southern province near Butare town. Despite several arrests, police and prosecution dropped the case in September this year – citing lack of evidence. The case simply raises the temperatures that Habineza has called for a UN-led investigation. The largely unknown Greens group planned to field a candidate in the August 2010 presidential polls, but backed out – again accusing the government of closing the political environment. Publicly, it is hard to find anybody in Rwanda identifying themselves as Green Party activists, save for Habineza, a media savvy figure who is quick to publish a press release at every incident. Open political space, please Frank Habineza tells The Chronicles that the next six years running to 2017 "will continue to be a big challenge to President Kagame, unless he accepts and lets opposition parties to get registered and take part in nation building". Failure to do so, he warns, will put the country's future at a big risk.  "The Government cannot afford to continue excluding fellow Rwandans. The time for opening up of political space is now," added Habineza. In the months leading up to the presidential poll, Habineza went into an on-and-off cooperation with the unregistered United Democratic Forum Inkingi (FDU-Inkingi) of jailed Ingabire Victoire (pictured left) and registered PS Imberakuru –of imprisoned Bernard Ntaganda. Surprisingly, it was always Habineza going out and then returning to the coalition soon after.At some point, an angry Victoire Ingabire described Habineza as politically immature. The Greens group is not thinking about 2017 yet, instead, Habineza says he is mobilising for the 2013 lower chamber parliamentary elections. "Our main objective is to become a real alternative to the ruling RPF, we cannot achieve that by operating from exile," said Habineza, who however did not divulge details about his return. "It's been a tough journey for us, but we have not lost hope. I plan to return and spearhead that process." |
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