The Rwanda parliamentary election

The total of 53 contested seats are elected for a five-year term under a system of proportional representation, with a minimum of 5 % of votes required to earn at least one seat in parliament. 24 seats are reserved for women who are voted for by women at provincial council levels. The National Council of […]

The total of 53 contested seats are elected for a five-year term under a system of proportional representation, with a minimum of 5 % of votes required to earn at least one seat in parliament. 24 seats are reserved for women who are voted for by women at provincial council levels. The National Council of Youth elects 2 representatives. The Federation of the Association of the Disabled elects one representative.
The election was relatively peaceful, compared with the violence that marked RPF’s seizure of power in 1994. As a guerrilla movement, it defeated a Hutu-dominated regime to end its power, marked by the genocide mainly against the Tutsis. The military discipline which won power drives Paul Kagame’s rule as much as the fear of the return of genocide if the Hutu opposition-the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, now domiciled in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo – was to win back power through either electoral majority votes or superior violence.
Fears of a return to the dark past informed the denial of registration of political parties deemed likely to arouse Hutu sentiments. The United Democratic Front and PS-Imberakuri are major victims.  Political parties deemed likely to get financial backing from former potential challengers to Kagame that are now in exile in South Africa and elsewhere, were denied opportunity to present candidates. In a pre-election statement, President Kagame said ‘’there wasn’t any real opposition in this election so there is not going to be any opposition in parliament’’.
 The RPF government has empowered women economically and ensured their high participation in political leadership. Their number in parliament went from 56% in 2008 to 64% in 2013, constituting 51 out of 80 members. Accordingly, Rwanda has retained the global distinction of having a parliament with women constituting the majority.
President Kagame has been accused of subterfuges like infiltrating other political parties with loyalists; encouraging cabinet ministers to register political parties, and inducing them to form coalitions with RPF. While such political manoeuvres may protect his power in near term, it has no positive humus for the growth of healthy political pluralism based on clearly enunciated socio-economic ideologies.  
While a post-genocide climate obviously raises peculiar challenges, including the burden of healing wounds and undoing poisonous ‘’ethnic’’ identities, the resort to punitive electoral tactics is more suitable for a militaristic culture than nurturing a rhythm of mutual tolerance and communal solidarity.  
Based on the record of his taming corruption, encouraging economic efficiency, a dynamic private sector, and creative healing, Kagame may well deserve a re-election after 2017, which is what the last parliamentary poll was all about.
No doubt, the ghost of the 1994 genocide has not been fully expiated.  That episode, which shocked the world, was a turning point for the country. The Kagame government should use the parliamentary victory it has just garnered to launch an all-inclusive administration that recognises the rights of all segments of the Rwandan society, particularly the Hutu.