Why Rwanda’s top opposition parties endorse Kagame

Author: Lindah Uwase

• 2024-03-29 05:30:00

Two of Rwanda’s major political parties, Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Liberal Party (PL), have endorsed President Paul Kagame as their presidential candidate for the July Presidential elections.

The endorsement came just two weeks after Kagame was officially fronted by his own Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF).

The move by the opposition parties may come as shocking to any stranger to Rwanda’s politics, but to those that have kept a keen eye on the trends in the country, their endorsement is built on a very strong background.      

Rwanda’s government is such that even if RPF won hands down, it is bound by the political arrangements in place to share government positions with other parties who have been in the governing coalition for some time now.

In fact, the RPF cedes 50 per cent of all senior positions to other political parties depending on their performance in elections. This is true for ministerial positions, parliamentary, senatorial, ambassadorial, and other senior positions in the country.

Leaders from the opposition have held ministerial and other senior positions in the country and have hands-on experience of working with and for President Kagame.

Rwandans have appreciated the leadership skills and decision-making capacity endowed with President Kagame. His leadership style, which is idealistic in nature, delivers real results, which has led to other leaders to endorse him.

Opposition parties’ endorsement is a rational choice and should not be misinterpreted for selfish intent as some ill-intentioned social media commentators have intended to insinuate, as this would be an insult to the intelligence of the overwhelming majority of Rwandans whose endorsement was in national interest and not self-interest.

Under a united government, Rwanda experienced transformational changes in all sectors of the economy and by extension in the lives of all Rwandans. This is not debatable even among the most ardent critics of our government, most of whom have not been part of this change, and do not want to accept that it happened, for doing so would be to vindicate the mess they left in our country and with our country.

This transformation has, first and foremost, been acknowledged and appreciated by Rwandans, in social sectors such as health, social security, unity and reconciliation, law and order.

The exemplary leadership of President Kagame has mobilized and coordinated the underlying causal process that has led to the changes we witness today.

For the most part, Rwanda’s institutions and achievements are still a work in progress. Rwandans have come from far as a people and a country. They know that the journey ahead is still longer and they are determined to trudge on, and build a more prosperous nation. They are inspired by the achievements, so far.