Was this true in 1960 when vox of majority rejected tutsi monarchy?
Was this true when people were dancing in the streets and singing the coup d'Etat of 1973?
Was this true in October 1990 when vox populi in refugee camp declared war to Rwanda?
To: fondationbanyarwanda@yahoogroupes.fr; fondationbanyarwanda@yahoogroupes.fr
From: fondationbanyarwanda@yahoogroupes.fr
Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2015 23:50:37 -0700
Subject: [fondationbanyarwanda] "Vox Populi, vox Dei"?
Was this true in October 1990 when vox populi in refugee camp declared war to Rwanda?
Was this true when in 1994 people declared war for surviving the assassination of Habyarimana?
Was this true when people voted fundamental law of 2003 fixing only two term limit for any president?
Your DEI is perhaps like that golden calf ISRAELI had made when Moses was not returning as soon as expected. But when Moses reappeared, the beautiful calf was destroyed with those who worshiped it, too.
To: fondationbanyarwanda@yahoogroupes.fr; fondationbanyarwanda@yahoogroupes.fr
From: fondationbanyarwanda@yahoogroupes.fr
Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2015 23:50:37 -0700
Subject: [fondationbanyarwanda] "Vox Populi, vox Dei"?
http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/Rwanda-the-voice-of-the-people-is-the-voice-of/-/689364/2792482/-/pen7m/-/index.html
Rwanda: 'the voice of the people is the voice of God', but…
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By Asuman Bisiika
Posted Saturday, July 18 2015 at 01:00
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On Tuesday July 14, a joint session of Rwanda's senate and parliament sat to review a myriad of petitions seeking a constitutional amendment to remove a provision that limits a president to hold office for only two terms. This kicked a buzz on social media.
The general reading on Uganda's social media circuit was that 'Rwanda's parliament had amended the constitution to allow president Paul Kagame seek a third term of office'.
No, they (the senate and parliament) did not do such a thing; and I felt obliged to comment on some Facebook posts correcting that wrong impression. They just opened the debate on the 'small matter' of amending Article 101 of the constitution.
Rwanda's constitution is written in plain English; no winding poetic syntax associated with legal documents. Article 101 of the constitution reads: The president of the republic is elected for a term of seven years renewable only once. Under no circumstances shall a person hold the office of president of republic for more than two terms.
In plain English, 'under no circumstances…' means that even if (IF 3) there were an emergency or there is a threat of mass suicide, the president would still not be allowed to serve for a third term of office.
Well, but now that 'the thing' is open for debate, the 'impossibility' (the grammatical IF 3) of a president serving a third term has been rendered void déjà.
Citing the power of the people, the proponents of the amendment make the issue look like an 'innocent constitutional amendment' devoid of 'politics' and partisan self-interest associated with politics.
Yet the letter and spirit of the more than three million petitions, the basis for this debate, are very clear: amend the constitution so president Kagame can seek another term of office.
In the circumstances, one would not be opposed to president Kagame's continued stewardship of the country. What I am personally opposed to is the 'clever romanticisation' of the masses and their power. Isn't this a non-military popular coup d'etat? Isn't this some kind of Arab spring of sorts?
Now let us ask: What is in issue here? Do the 'people' want president Kagame to be declared life president? Do they want him to serve for a particular number of terms (say, one or two terms)? Should Article 101 be deleted so that 'any' president can hold office for 'any' number of terms (like is the case in Uganda)?
With the petitioners being particular with their demand that Kagame continues to lead the country, will his name be written in the law? How is the referendum question likely to be framed? Does this act of 'people power' have any precedence in Rwanda? Oh yes.
Those with more than an average interest in Rwanda's history may compare this process to the 1961 kamarampaka (referendum) in which Rwandans voted to abolish the Kingdom of Rwanda and adopt the Republic of Rwanda. Yes there was voting. And yes, the republicans won.
But to what end? It is a fact that Rwanda, like Uganda, has never had a peaceful change of government since independence; every government bombs itself into power with some former presidents dying in unpleasant circumstances.
Anecdote:
I challenged people to name all the presidents of the republic of Rwanda. Here: Dominique Mbonyumutwa, Gregoire Kayibanda, Maj Gen. Juvenal Habyarimana, Theodore Sindikubwabo, Pasteur Bizimungu and Maj Gen Paul Kagame.
Right? Wrong; because the presidency of one of the men named above was expunged from public record by courts of law.
Don't laugh…, because the mausoleum holding the mortal remains of another former president, hitherto itemised as one of the national monuments and antiquities, was de-gazetted and the land rendered free for change of use. N'akarusho rero (it's tricky).
Mr Bisiika is the executive editor of East Africa Flagpost.
Rwanda: 'the voice of the people is the voice of God', but…
SHARE BOOKMARKPRINTRATING
By Asuman Bisiika
Posted Saturday, July 18 2015 at 01:00
SHARE THIS STORY
0
inShare
On Tuesday July 14, a joint session of Rwanda's senate and parliament sat to review a myriad of petitions seeking a constitutional amendment to remove a provision that limits a president to hold office for only two terms. This kicked a buzz on social media.
The general reading on Uganda's social media circuit was that 'Rwanda's parliament had amended the constitution to allow president Paul Kagame seek a third term of office'.
No, they (the senate and parliament) did not do such a thing; and I felt obliged to comment on some Facebook posts correcting that wrong impression. They just opened the debate on the 'small matter' of amending Article 101 of the constitution.
Rwanda's constitution is written in plain English; no winding poetic syntax associated with legal documents. Article 101 of the constitution reads: The president of the republic is elected for a term of seven years renewable only once. Under no circumstances shall a person hold the office of president of republic for more than two terms.
In plain English, 'under no circumstances…' means that even if (IF 3) there were an emergency or there is a threat of mass suicide, the president would still not be allowed to serve for a third term of office.
Well, but now that 'the thing' is open for debate, the 'impossibility' (the grammatical IF 3) of a president serving a third term has been rendered void déjà.
Citing the power of the people, the proponents of the amendment make the issue look like an 'innocent constitutional amendment' devoid of 'politics' and partisan self-interest associated with politics.
Yet the letter and spirit of the more than three million petitions, the basis for this debate, are very clear: amend the constitution so president Kagame can seek another term of office.
In the circumstances, one would not be opposed to president Kagame's continued stewardship of the country. What I am personally opposed to is the 'clever romanticisation' of the masses and their power. Isn't this a non-military popular coup d'etat? Isn't this some kind of Arab spring of sorts?
Now let us ask: What is in issue here? Do the 'people' want president Kagame to be declared life president? Do they want him to serve for a particular number of terms (say, one or two terms)? Should Article 101 be deleted so that 'any' president can hold office for 'any' number of terms (like is the case in Uganda)?
With the petitioners being particular with their demand that Kagame continues to lead the country, will his name be written in the law? How is the referendum question likely to be framed? Does this act of 'people power' have any precedence in Rwanda? Oh yes.
Those with more than an average interest in Rwanda's history may compare this process to the 1961 kamarampaka (referendum) in which Rwandans voted to abolish the Kingdom of Rwanda and adopt the Republic of Rwanda. Yes there was voting. And yes, the republicans won.
But to what end? It is a fact that Rwanda, like Uganda, has never had a peaceful change of government since independence; every government bombs itself into power with some former presidents dying in unpleasant circumstances.
Anecdote:
I challenged people to name all the presidents of the republic of Rwanda. Here: Dominique Mbonyumutwa, Gregoire Kayibanda, Maj Gen. Juvenal Habyarimana, Theodore Sindikubwabo, Pasteur Bizimungu and Maj Gen Paul Kagame.
Right? Wrong; because the presidency of one of the men named above was expunged from public record by courts of law.
Don't laugh…, because the mausoleum holding the mortal remains of another former president, hitherto itemised as one of the national monuments and antiquities, was de-gazetted and the land rendered free for change of use. N'akarusho rero (it's tricky).
Mr Bisiika is the executive editor of East Africa Flagpost.
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Posted by: kota venant <kotakori@hotmail.com>
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-Ce dont jai le plus peur, cest des gens qui croient que, du jour au lendemain, on peut prendre une société, lui tordre le cou et en faire une autre.
- The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.
- I have loved justice and hated iniquity: therefore I die in exile.
- The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.
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-Ce dont jai le plus peur, cest des gens qui croient que, du jour au lendemain, on peut prendre une société, lui tordre le cou et en faire une autre.
- The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.
- I have loved justice and hated iniquity: therefore I die in exile.
- The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-To post a message: amakurunamateka@yahoogroups.com; .To join: amakurunamateka-subscribe@yahoogroups.com; -To unsubscribe from this group,send an email to:
amakurunamateka-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
_____________________________________________________
-More news: http://www.amakurunamateka.com
https://www.facebook.com/amakurunamateka
https://www.facebook.com/musabeforum
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-SVP, considérer environnement avant toute impression de cet e-mail ou les pièces jointes.
======
-Please consider the environment before printing this email or any attachments.
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