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The last week concluded parliamentary elections have been marred by irregularities and all malpractices that have characterized what many people call the cancer of African democracy. In response many political parties that operate from outside the country have reacted accusing the ruling party (RPF) of deceiving the world by organizing what they call sham elections. According to the definition of democracy by the Greek Philosopher Socrates, ‘it is the government of the people for the people by the people”. Indeed, many people were heard on VOA and BBC Gahuzamiryango denouncing the elections and castigating them as RPF stage show that masks the international community in order to get more aid on the expense of many Rwandans who have been deprived of their alienable right of choosing their own leaders.

While I’m convinced by some contributors on the causes of undemocratic behavior in Rwanda and some African countries in general, I will argue that some people have not yet grasped the causes of African undemocratic dispensations and hence mix up issues or derail on the fundamental problem of African politics.

The fundamental problem of African politics is bad governance, dictatorship, but most importantly unprofessional politicians who usurp the powers of the people with a barrel of a gun   don’t listen to the people’s wishes and massacre those who challenge their dictatorial rule.  Why then do we have a mere change of guards in all the successive governments and the new leaders don’t learn from their predecessors? Why some opposition groups still use the divisive language?  Why do some politicians see the problem in the mirror of ethnicity?

The answer is not difficult to find, some politicians deliberately would like to exploit the Kagame dictatorial regime by manipulating the so called ethnic divisions of Rwanda.  Some don’t even shy away from saying that the army of Kagame is made up of Tutsis who dominate all the political decisions of Kagame.  But the issue is not the so called army composed of whatever group, the issue is the policies of Kagame who will use any form of security organ to exterminate those who don’t speak the same language with him or those just perceived to be. I will make a comparative analysis in Burundi where King Mwambutsa was deposed in 1966 by his son, Prince Ntare  V, who claimed the throne. That same year, Tutsi Prime Minister Captain Michel Micombero deposed Ntare, abolished the monarchy, and declared the nation a republic, though it was in effect a military regime. Why then the Burundi King was deposed by his own son? Indeed, the subsequent coups that took place in Burundi were planned by those they called their own.

In Liberia On April 12, 1980, a military coup led by Master Sergeant Samuel Doe of the Krahn ethnic group overthrew and killed President William R. Tolbert, Jr.. Doe and the other plotters later executed a majority of Tolbert’s cabinet and other Americo-Liberian government officials and True Whig Party members, but despite the killing of all most all the entire cabinet of William Tolbert the problem the Doe and his comrades sought to solve was not solved instead they became worse than the man they had criticised.  Therefore the problem of democracy should be looked in the mirror of tolerance, good governance, free speech and the background of the communities.  Similarly, in Uganda   the Obote regime used the same cards, but he was later deposed by those he called his own. Apparently, the democracy in Rwanda is not there, the so called elections are just nominations of RPF who are presented there for a rubber stamp by the RPF dominated electoral commission which is supposed to be an independent commission but in actual fact it’s an RPF Commission.

Obviously if the problem of the  Kagame regime is Tutsi  army as some people would like to portray it, why all his former comrades  even his commanders who were senior to him during the start of the RPF struggle  were killed or their  death is still a mystery? Some of the opposition were part of Kagame who is now hunting them alive or dead, the issue is that the killer is like a wizard will never spare anybody who is in its way or that one perceived to be in its way. Surprisingly some politicians are still playing the wrong political cards thinking to buy some minds of the electorate, unfortunately sooner or later; these tactics back fire on both sides. Therefore the best way of achieving the goals of democracy is de-ethnicise   the Rwandan politics and stick to the issues that hurt or benefit the communities which these politicians claim to represent. Burundi is a vindication of my argument; they created the so called sharing of government posts using the formula of ethnicity, never the less the oppression of different groups is still going on where the FNL Leader Agatho Rwasa is now a wanderer in his own country. Therefore the problem of African politics and Rwanda in particular should not be looked in the mirror of ethnicity but in the mirror of bad governance.

 

Jacqueline Umurungi

Brussels.