On July 15, Rwandans will partake in general elections, voting their next President and members of Parliament.

Prior to the elections, campaigns will be underway across the country, from June 22. As observed previously, these elections will be peaceful, simply because it is a choice Rwandans have made. Having been subjected to political bankruptcy for decades, which resulted in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwandans decided to adopt a unique mode of consensual democracy, rather than confrontational.

Rwanda remains the only country in the region with such a type of democracy. This doesn’t mean political players have to agree on everything; they do indeed disagree. However, there is a minimum threshold on which all political players must agree, and that is the unity and security of Rwandans and the fight against genocide ideology, among other issues.

The threshold for agreement is based solely on what is of national benefit and benefits Rwandans. This is why Rwanda’s elections are never marred by violence and chaos. Beyond the elections, political players are inclined to gather under the National Consultative Forum of Political Organizations (NFPO). The Forum is a platform for national political dialogue, consensus-building, and national cohesion.

The idea of promoting permanent consultative mechanisms among political forces is, in fact, contained in the very spirit of the Arusha Peace Accord, with the objective of founding the power-sharing system on the principles of the supremacy of national interests and the rule of law.

Another imperative spelled out by the January 9, 1993 Protocol on power sharing was to provide political education to members of political organizations for a common struggle against all forms of violence and political exclusion.

All of these principles, which guided the establishment of the Forum in 1994 after the genocide to serve as a consultative framework among political organizations in the composition and management of transitional institutions, were confirmed by the Constitutional Referendum of May 26, 2003.

The model advocated dialogue and consultation as a way of carrying out political action and promoting multiparty democracy in Rwanda. The Forum works as a platform where political parties recognized in Rwanda meet and discuss the country’s problems and national policies, with the purpose of consensus building and national cohesion. It is a permanent framework for capacity building for member political organizations in the development of political activities and political service provision.

It is also a framework for conflict mediation between political parties and for the promotion of the code of conduct that should characterize political leadership in Rwanda.

Such a democratic system has yielded results, including the provision of social protection support, such as cows, to vulnerable Rwandans through the one-cow-per-poor family program – Girinka, regardless of the political party to which they belong.

The achievements made are laudable and should be safeguarded, commending the role of the ruling party, Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi), in nation building.

If RPF was eager for leadership, all the leadership positions should have been covered by RPF members, because the party through its former armed wing, RPA, had won the battle in the liberation struggle that stopped the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Power sharing after winning a battle is rare worldwide.

The RPF’s deed symbolizes dedication to patriotism.

In Rwanda, power sharing is respected in state institutions in accordance with the fundamental principles set out by the Constitution and the provisions of other laws.

The Head of State and the Speaker of Parliament cannot belong to the same political party, as provided for by the Constitution. This provision ensures the checks and balances principle in Rwanda’s governance. It stipulates that cabinet members are selected from political parties based on seats held by those political organizations in the Parliament.

However, a political party holding the most seats in Parliament cannot have more than 50 per cent of cabinet members.

Foreigners may perceive democracy in Africa under an unfavorable perspective, where they think that a political party is active when it is violent, such as protesting by burning tires in the streets, destroying infrastructure, or killing people, which is a wrong choice.

Each country has its uniqueness, and so should its governance. Rwanda opted for a choice that involves everyone in the country’s growth through dialogue and searching for common ground and seeking a solution through consensus.

As a case in point, although members of parliament originate from different political parties, they are representatives of all Rwandans; with their work converging towards considering what can benefit them and build the country, without political party-based discriminations.

Different from the past when political parties were implicated in destroying the unity of Rwandans, which contributed to the 1994 genocide against Tutsi, in which over one million people were killed, political parties now comply with relevant laws and place consensus and tolerance first, at the same time striving for the unity of Rwandans.

During the National Prayer Breakfast held on January 14, President Paul Kagame said the responsibility for the growth, development, stability and the choices Rwanda make is solely in the hands of Rwandans and not in any foreign actor’s hands.

Regarding Rwanda’s history, Rwandans will always unapologetically apply consensual politics as a unique mode of democracy that has driven the country peacefully, and productively, for the past three decades.