PCC-PRESS RELEASE : RPF-PSD MARRIAGE–GHOST OPPOSITION, STOOGE CANDIDATE

The Permanent Consultative Council of Opposition Parties in Rwanda (PCC)

The Permanent Consultative Council of Opposition Parties in Rwanda which brings together, the United Democratic Forces (FDU–Inkingi), the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, the Parti Social IMBERAKURI, is very disturbed and deeply concerned with the new RPF strategy of doing away with the real political opposition and embrace its coalition partners for the last 16 years as the Political Opposition.

This comes just a few weeks after the public Request by President Kagame in one of his Press Conferences held in April 2010, telling Liberal Party-PL and Social Democratic Party-PSD to start claiming for the political space the opposition has been calling for.

Dr. Jean Damascene Ntawukuriryayo, Rwanda’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament, cannot challenge President Paul Kagame and the RPF in the upcoming August presidential elections.

Dr. Ntawukuriryayo is a former Health Minister and his Social Democratic Party (PSD) have been sleeping in the same bed with RPF since 1994 and in 2003 elections, PSD backed the RPF candidate. The President of PSD, Dr.Vincent BIRUTA, became the Speaker of Parliament then and there-after, till now the Speaker of the Rwandan Senate-the second Supreme Organ in the Country and Number two in hierarchy according to the Rwandan Constitution and also the Deputy Speaker of Parliament is not far away from the top hierarchy and decision makers of the Land.

The usual master plan is already known : the right time the stooge candidate urges his supporters to vote for the incumbent.

It’s very clear that PSD is an RPF satellite and affiliated Party and has never been in opposition since 1994. It is just coming in to escort and give legitimacy to the RPF Candidate and hoodwink the international community that the elections are free and fair.

The Permanent Consultative Council of Opposition Parties in Rwanda strongly condemns this new RPF strategy of doing away with the real and genuine political opposition by embracing its coalition Partners, PSD and PL as its new opposition.

PSD and PL have never stood up publically to challenge the RPF regime, they have never denounced the injustices of the RPF against the population, they have never confronted the RPF for the democratization of the country, they have always been comfortable with the RPF-established clientele system and they have always supported all RPF activities without giving any critic publically.

An election, where the real opposition is not allowed to participate in, is just a wastage of national resources and wastage of time.

We once again call for a level playing field for the 2010 presidential election ; the legitimacy of the results will remain a big problem if the real opposition is closed out.

We also once again call the Rwandan Government to register the real opposition parties : FDU INKINGI and the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda without any further hurdles.

Issued at Kigali, 24th May 2010

Signed by :

Ms Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza

Chairperson, United Democratic Forces

Mr. Frank Habineza

Chairman, Democratic Green Party of Rwanda

Me. Bernard Ntaganda

Chairman, Parti Social IMBERAKURI