June 2018

Monday, 25 June 2018

The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda is pleased to inform members of the media and the public that it successfully held its third congress on 23rd June 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda. The congress approved 55 Parliamentary Candidates, the provisional list includes 21 women and 34 men. The final list will be submitted to the National Electoral Commission between 12-25 July. Parliamentary elections are planned for 2nd and 3rd September 2018, while electoral campaigns will commence on 13th August -1st September. The Congress renewed the mandate of the Executive Committee members and elected a new national Treasurer. It also elected 11 leaders for each of the four provinces and the City of Kigali. The Congress also approved a revised party-political program (manifesto), which will be used for parliamentary campaigns. The Party program had been approved in March 2017 before presidential elections, however, some of the key issues which were highlighted have already been implemented by the Government of Rwanda. This required an updated version of the Political Program, where other pressing issues were included and those already implemented removed. Key Issues in the Revised Political Program (manifesto): Justice Sector: DGPR will seek the establishment of the Constitutional Court, to deal with all constitutional related cases and matters; DGPR will seek the supremacy of the Supreme Court, where by no one could be able to appeal its decisions to the Ombudsman; Prisoners should not be imprisoned in prisons far from their home areas, this will be changed. Convicts serving non-criminal sentences, will have to serve them outside prison, this will help to reduce the huge number of prisoners and save national budget, while making those convicts productive to the society; Set up a special court to retry cases of politicians in prison who are not satisfied with court decisions. National Security and National Sovereignty: DGPR will seek the establishment of the National Security Council, comprising of civilian authorities, military, police and other security organs; Regarding armed groups that attack the country, we shall strengthen national security using modern technology to monitor our boarders. These will include security cameras and satellites among others. We shall also increase the capacity and resources of the national police and other security institutions; DGPR will ensure dialogue between the Government and Rwandans outside the country to deter armed rebellions. Media: We shall request for the establishment of the Ministry of Information, which will specifically deal with media development and policy; We shall set up a media development fund to support private media houses to develop and get resources; We shall encourage the state to share public tenders with both public and private media. Land: We shall work towards a new legislation that will repeal land tax and restore land ownership to the citizens; We will seek legislation of a national land use plan clearly indicating where to farm and where to settle and construct houses; We shall revise the Land-consolidation policy which limits people to plant crops of their choice and give them rights to participate in the decision-making process of what to grow on their land. Government can have its own land for commercial farming. Economy: We shall seek legislation promoting progressive taxation and reduce several repetitive taxes that hinder business growth and increase the tax base; We shall establish the minimum wage; We shall seek legislation establishing the Cooperative Bank of Rwanda, to promote sustainable growth of cooperative societies; We shall seek legislation that reduces taxes on motor vehicles or other machines that do not use petroleum products; We will promote renewable energy, especially solar and wind energy; We shall promote CLEAN industries that do not pollute the environment; We shall promote agro-processing industries; We shall seek legislation establishing the Export and Import Promotion Bank of Rwanda. Environmental Protection: We shall promote rain water harvesting and seek legislation that obliges all buildings to tap rain water; We shall promote sustainable mining practices and seek a law that obliges miners not to pollute water bodies and ensure an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment before any mining activity; We shall promote agro-forestry policy in all farming areas as well as tree planting on hillsides and fight soli-erosion through progressive terracing; We shall seek legislation that ensures climate change mitigation and adaptation. Agriculture and Animal husbandry: We shall seek legislation that ensures food security and food safety this will protect the country against food scarcity and hunger as well as guard us from genetically modified foods and other health-hazards; We shall develop water irrigation system and rain water harvesting in the Rwandan drylands and ensure agricultural production even during dry seasons; We shall seek legislation that deploys agronomist at the village level; We shall seek legislation that establishes Rwanda Agricultural Support Fund which will help farmers to access low interest credits and guarantees; We shall work towards establishing an institution aimed at fighting famine and hunger, known as ‘Feed Rwanda Institute’. The full political program with all details will be published on the party website and shared to the public before the campaign period. What we have highlighted above are just a few key points on some of the issues. Done at Kigali, 25th June 2018 Dr.Frank Habineza Party President

Thursday, 14 June 2018

Ku nshuro ya mbere Ishyaka riharanira Demokarasi no kurengera Ibidukikije, ‘Democratic Green Party’, rigiye kwitabira amatora y’abadepite mu muhigo udasanzwe wo kwegukana imyanya irenze 10 mu Nteko Ishinga Amategeko. Perezida w’iri shyaka ryashinzwe mu 2009, Dr Frank Habineza, yabwiye IGIHE ko bageze kure bitegura amatora, aho kuri uyu wa Gatanu basoje gahunda yo gutora abazarihagararira. Yagize ati “Imyiteguro igeze kure, kuva mu kwa cumi umwaka ushize twatangiye kuzenguraka igihugu dukoresha inama mu turere, bitoramo abazabahagarira mu matora y’abadepite, umugabo n’umugore.” Yongeraho ko iri shyaka ryongeye gusuzuma manifesto yaryo rizakoresha mu kwiyamamaza, ikazatangazwa muri kongere izaba kuwa 23 Kamena 2018, ari nabwo hazemezwa abakandida bazajya kuri lisiti ntakuka izashyikirizwa Komisiyo y’Amatora. Ishyaka Green Party rirateganya nibura abakandida 60 ariko bizaterwa n’ababonye ibyangombwa bisabwa n’amategeko nk’icyemezo cy’uko batigeze bakatirwa n’inkiko igifungo kingana cyangwa kirengeje amezi atandatu. Dr Habineza avuga ko bafite icyizere cyo kwegukana intebe zingana na 20 % mu Nteko Ishinga Amategeko, Umutwe w’Abadepite. Yagize ati “Nibura 20 %, ni ukuvuga nibura abadepite barenze 10. Twabonye ubunararibonye nyuma yo kwitabira amatora ya Perezida wa Repubulika kandi ariya yari agoye cyane kubera ko twari duhanganye n’amashyaka icyenda, ubu ntabwo ariko bizaba bimeze.” Avuga kandi ko abaturage bazabagirira icyizere bitewe n’intego bafite zo guhangana n’ikibazo cy’ubukene, akarengane, ubutabera bwiza kuri buri wese, guhangana n’ibibazo biterwa n’ihindagurika ry’ikirere no kwangiza ibidukikije. Ishyaka Green Party mu matora ya Perezida wa Repubulika yabaye umwaka ushize ryakunze kugaragaza ikibazo cy’ingengo y’imari, byatumye rinasaba inguzanyo muri banki kugira ngo agende neza. Kuri iyi nshuro ngo nta gihari kuko abarwanashyaka bamaze iminsi bakusanya imisanzu. Dr Habineza wiyamamarije kuyobora u Rwanda mu matora yo muri Kanama 2017 akabona amajwi 0.48, ari mu bakandida bazaba bari ku rutonde Green Party izatanga. Amatora y’abadepite ateganyijwe mu Rwanda ku wa 3 Nzeri 2018, mu gihe Abanyarwanda baba muri Diaspora bazatorera kuri za Ambasade n’ahandi hateganyijwe ku wa 2 Nzeri uyu mwaka. Source: http://www.igihe.com/politiki/amakuru/article/green-party-irashaka-intebe-zirenze-10-mu-nteko-ishinga-amategeko

Thursday, 14 June 2018

The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) is looking at coming up with a “strong manifesto” before embarking on a vigorous campaign to secure at least 20 per cent of parliamentary seats in the September polls, party officials have said. The party president, Frank Habineza, who also ran in last year’s presidential elections has exclusively told The New Times that they are ready to submit their list of candidates, adding that they are looking to fielding up to 60 members in the campaign. “The party has been preparing for these elections since October last year. We started with conducting meetings at the district level and have already elected two candidates, both female and male, from each district,” he said in an interview, adding that the process was concluded in May Habineza who said that he is also on the list of candidates to run on the Green Party ticket, said that final list of candidates will be approved by the national party congress scheduled on June 23. “We shall also approve our new manifesto at the congress,” he added. High hopes He said the party will ensure that candidates have all that is required by the national electoral law such as presenting a certificate of criminal record, among others, before the congress approves them. Habineza contested in last year’s presidential elections, during which he polled 0.47 per cent, making him the last among the three candidates who contested. President Paul Kagame, who was fielded by a coalition led by Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) won the elections by 98.63 per cent, followed by Phillippe Mpayimana at 0.73 per cent. Mpayimana has also expressed the desire to vie for a seat in parliament as an independent. Habineza said he is optimistic that this time round the party will secure more seats. “We have hope that we cannot fail to get at least 20% of the national vote,” he said. “The parliamentary elections are different because it won’t be one party against nine but each party fighting for a seat. Of course we wait to see how many will be in the RPF coalition but our chances this time around are higher than last year’s presidential elections,” he noted. The Green Party was created in August 2009 with its founders saying they were entering the political scene to bring about “genuine and authentic” political opposition in the country. There are 80 legislators constituting the Lower House. Others are 24 women who are elected to represent different provinces and the City of Kigali through the National Women Council. Of these, six women legislators are elected each from Southern, Western and Eastern provinces. Northern Province is represented by four women while the City of Kigali gets two. Other colleges are the youth, who, through the National Youth Council, are represented by two candidates while the People with Disabilities have one legislator representing them. Source: http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/parliamentary-polls-green-party-targets-20-seats

Tuesday, 5 June 2018

The African Greens Federation joins the rest of the world in cerebrating today’s World Environment. This is a very important day in our lives particularly to us as important proponents of the environmental preservation. To us the Greens Family and the rest of the World, this is a day when we look back to history and evaluate the progress that we have taken as actors in making the world clean. World Environmental Day is celebrated every year on 5 June and it is also a day where we mirror ourselves on the journey we have travelled in making the world a clean and habitable place. Our theme this year focuses on the rejection of single use of plastics where together, we can chart a path into cleaner and greener world. As both inhabitants and moulders of our environment we all remain with a collective responsibility from our homes, our communities and the rest of the world as role models of a cleaner world. The celebration of this very important event provides us with an opportunity not only to be self-actors but also as teachers in educating our friends and relatives in making the world in clean environment. The 2018 Theme calls on all of us to ‘Beat the Plastic Pollution’ because plastics have been and continue to be one of the greatest pollutants in our countries. As we join the rest of the World let us consider how we can make positive changes in our efforts to reduce the burden of plastic pollution to our natural places and our own areas and thus reducing the effects to nature and to the areas we live. Let us find means to reduce the use of plastics. Let us also consider the consequences of unplanned and unhygienic plastic disposal. As we join the World in this commemoration let us be on the forefront of different environmental initiatives in our countries. Together we can make the world clean and habitable. Tapiwa Chengeta Secretary for Communication African Greens Federation

Tuesday, 5 June 2018

Mugihe twizihiza umunsi mpuzamahanga wahariwe kurengera Ibidukikije taliki ya 5 Kamena 2018, Ishyaka Riharanira Demokarasi no Kurengera Ibidukikije m’u Rwanda, rinejejwe no kwibutsa abanyarwanda n’abatuye isi ko kurengera ibidukikije ari ingirakamaro kuko ntakintu na kimwe cyagerwaho mu mibereho ya buri munsi ndetse no mw’iterambere ry’abatuye isi birengagije ndetse ntibarengere ibidukikije. Kubwiyo mpamvu; Ishyaka DGPR rirasaba Leta y’u Rwanda nabo bireba bose gusuzuma ndetse no guhagarika abakora ibikorwa bigira ingaruka mbi kubidukikije, muri ibyo harimo ibikorwa by’ubucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro na kariyeri bukorwa mu kajagari hamwe na hamwe mu gihugu kubera ko bubangamiye ibidukikije ndetse bikaba bikorwa nabi ugasanga haraho bamena imicanga, ibyondo n’ibitaka byavuye aho bacukuye muburyo butanoze cyangwa hadakwiriye noneho imvura yagwa ikabisuka mu mazi cyangwa mu migezi ibyo bikagira ingaruka zirimo ibura ry’amazi n’ingufu z’amashanyarazi. Ishyaka DGPR rirasaba Ikigo cy’Igihugu gishinzwe Kurengera Ibidukikije (REMA), gukurikirana aho ibikorwa by’itemwa ry’ibiti byo gucana n’ibyo kubakisha kugira ngo bihagarare ndetse hashakwe ubundi buryo bworohera abaturage harimo gukoresha ibyuma mukwubaka ndetse n’igiciro cya GAZ kigabanuke kugira ngo ikoreshwa ry’ibiti riveho burundu ndetse n’abubaka amagorofa bakoresha ibiti ku bikwa ahakagombye gukoreshwa ibyuma, ibyo bikagira ingaruka y’igabanuka n’icyendera ry’ibiti n’ibinyabuzima bimwe na bimwe n’iyangirika ry’umutungo kamere ndetse n’ihumanywa ry’ikirere. Turasaba kandi Ikigo cy’Igihugu gishinzwe Imiturire, gusuzuma ikibazo cy’imiturire itatanye mu byaro n’isatagurwa rikabije ry’amasambu tutirengagije n’imyubakire y’akajagari hamwe na hamwe mu mijyi kuko iyo bidakozwe neza bigira ingaruka zikomeye harimo n’impfu nkuko byabaye guhera muri Mutarama kugeza muri Gicurasi uyu mwaka aho imvura yabaye nyinshi noneho amazi akamanuka adafite inzira yayo maze agahitana ubuzima bwa benshi. Ishyaka DGPR kandi rirakangurira abanyarwanda muri rusange gushishikarira gufata amazi y’imvura ndetse no kwirinda kujugunya imyanda aho biboneye kuko bigira ingaruka mugukamya ibiyaga, inzuzi n’ibishanga kubera isuri n’imyanda byoherezwamo. Bikorewe i Kigali kuwa 5 Kamena 2018 Dr. Frank Habineza Umuyobozi Mukuru