Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) as One Party, One Leader and One Programme
RPF
is the only party that is allowed to exist and it is the Kagame's
own party. Other credible and independent political parties, civil
society associations and organizations are not allowed to function. These are banned.
All opposition to the dictator Kagame is ruthlessly suppressed. Hitler used to say, "Swastika or
gallows". Kagame has no respect of human life. He kills or exiles
anyone he considers to be against his plans, decisions, instructions and
policies.
One Overall Leader
Full faith is concentrated in the
Kagame's leadership, as one man leader for everybody, everywhere
and everything. Kagame is equal to national unity, economic
progress, liberation and patriotism. He is considered to be a symbol of
national prestige. He even believes that he has a role to play at the
international scene than any world leader. He is the final authority in every
matter and his word is supreme. Consultations with the population
about the design and content of the constitution, policies and programmes
are never organised. The constitution and legislation are regularly
reviewed and changed to suit Kagame’s needs and to ensure he stays on
power as long as he wants. The
dictator internationalises domestic problems such as human
rights violations, justice, his support to war in DRCongo, his own role in the Rwandan genocide, Rwandan
ethnic tensions, etc. He always blame foreign countries for not having solved
these problems.
One Programme
The whole
country is supposed to have one political programme and it is the programme
of Kagame's own party. No alternative thinking and proposals are
allowed. It is within this context that he is forcing Rwandan people to
contribute to his Agaciro Development Fund.
Women
are used as a political tool to project Kagame's image to the outside
world and to influence the electorate and the parliament
outcomes. As gender equality strategy, he believes that women having seats in
the Parliament is enough while women’s well-being at the village level has
continued to deteriorate considerably.
Fear
is used as an instrument to control society and to discourage people from
questioning the regime. Police and intelligence officers are everywhere and
control each citizen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. People are terrified into
collaborating and making sacrifices for the national interest ( e.g. forced
contributions to the Kagame’s Agaciro Development Fund). Any questioning
of decisions, practices and policies by Kagame is an act of treason
and undermine national security( e.g., imprisoned Political Leader
Ingabire Umuhoza).
The national economy is controlled by Kagame and RPF
All
financial and economic resources and assets (e.g. banks, access to credit,
foreign aid, properties, fertile lands, parastatal institutions,etc.) are in
the hands of Kagame, RPF and the minority Tutsi in power. Kagame does not
believe in the support that he receives from the international
community because this may minimise the recognition of his acclaimed
economic achievements. The contribution of foreign aid to the annual budgets
are minimised by superficially inflating the national contributions.
Kagame does not care about employment and wellbeing of his own people. Social
and economic indicators are manipulated. Poverty and unemployment are
not recognised or discussed. The GDP is inflated annually by the
contributions of foreign aid and does not reflect the final goods and services
produced within the country.
Together
with his supporters, Kagame decides which profitable business to take, to
buy entirely or to participate in as shareholders. Private properties to buy
for redevelopment or for personal uses are chosen by Kagame and his crony and
are bought at minimal prices. They have the power to buy your property at the
price they decide. Rights to property do not exist in Rwanda.
Absence of Individual Liberty and Rights
Rwandan
people do not enjoy any liberty or rights under Kagame's rule.
Maximum obedience to Kgame's instructions is equated to the maximum liberty.
People are not allowed any liberty of speech, association and press. All
agencies of administration, education, propaganda such as schools, colleges,
radio,TV, newspapers, private and public institutions and are controlled
by Kagame. In the words of
Mussolini "people do not want liberty but they want law and order.
Under the pretence of national security, violation of rights is
institutionalised. This is particularly the case in regard to privacy, freedom
of expression and freedom of choice.
Telephone
calls (internal and external) and
private emails and websites including e-groups are monitored by Kagame’s
intelligence network. For the last 18
years , all Tutsi have access to
free services and opportunities (
education, health, credit, etc). All Rwandan websites, TV and Press feature
Kagame’s propaganda and stories. No independent website and media exist
in Rwanda.
Important
issues such as human rights, poverty, ethnic equality, democracy, income inequality,
injustice are taboos and any discussion about them is considered as an attempt
to undermine or to deny Rwanda’s artificial economic achievements.
Kagame
nurtures open hostility towards journalists, lawyers and human rights who
question the regime. Such people are branded as dissidents and traitors, are
removed from their jobs, are exiled, imprisoned, disappear or are prevented
from entering in the country when they are foreigners. Free expression in the
media and in the arts is muzzled, making them into mouthpieces for the regime.
People are appointed into any public job on the basis of support for the
regime. Exiled dissidents and political opponents are silenced,
assassinated or genocide perpetrators. " No criticism against Kagame
is tolerated. People are supposed to believe and obey. Democratic slogans of
liberty, human rights, equality and fraternity are replaced by slogans like
duty, discipline, liberation, patriotism and sacrifice. Mussolini asserted, "Liberty is a dead
carcass, I kick it."
National Glorification
Kagame
glorifies Rwanda to an illogical extreme. A mad sense of patriotism and
liberation must be inculcated in the minds of all people. The
military is glorified and imitated at school, in parades, hymns, pledges,
ceremonies, flags, uniforms, sport and external war adventures. Kagame
glorifies war. War is considered to be essential for the normal health of
body-politic. The dictator believes that war can be replicated and have the
same effects anywhere in the world( e.g. Museveni war against Uganda with the
support from Tanzania, Kagame’s war to Rwanda with the support from
Uganda, now Kagame’s war to Democratic Republic of Congo with the support by
Kagame). The state is all powerful and
it must enhance its prestige. Kagame adopts a war-like policy and glorify brute
force as the means for achieving national greatness (e.g. Supporting war
against Democratic Republic of Congo). In
the opinion of Hitler, "In eternal warfare, mankind has become great; in
eternal peace it will be ruined." To quote Mussolini, "War is to the
man what maternity is to the woman."All sections of the nation must
support Kagame's wars including religious leaders and Rwandan academics
who recently wrote a letter to the UN Secretary General denying Kagame's
support to M23. Kagame uses international academics and consultants to support
his dictatorship. His international corrupt supporters are always paid for the work
commissioned by Kagame. Kagame does not trust anyone
including the members of his family. Kagame always address publicly to
the invisible enemies and to the international community rather than to his own
people.
Ideological obsession against potential opponents
Kagame's
dictatorial regime is characterized by the large proportion of political
opponents currently imprisoned. Many civilian have been executed or
disappeared under Kagame's rule. Police and secret police are given draconian,
unchecked and almost limitless powers.
Rampant cronyism, favouritism, nepotism and corruption
Since
Kagame took power in 1994, his regime is ruled by an organised network of
close allies and war fighters who appoint each other into positions
of importance and who use their financial clout and the authority of their
position to protect each other from exposure, scrutiny and accountability. The
resulting elite feeds on power and seeks to enrich itself like a predator, at
the expense of the people of the country. Corruption is hidden through the same
network which also appoints and supervises anti-corruption officers.
Fraud in elections
Rwandan
presidential elections are a complete sham. Voters are manipulated by smear
campaigns against candidates even when those candidates are participating
in agreement with and on behalf of Kagame. The members of the National
Electoral Commission are appointed by Kagame. The electoral legislation was
designed to allow Kagame to win any presidential election. All political
parties are members of Rwandan Political Party Forum. Kagame agrees and decides
the candidates to compete with in presidential elections. Political
Opponents have been thrown into prison and some opposition
candidates have been assassinated, while those who have been in prison are
prohibited from participating in any future political life of the
country. The judiciary collaborates to manipulate and control elections. Fraud
and perversion of democratic principles is as predictable as the outcome of
such elections.
Conclusion
Kagame's
dictatorship is a totalitarian regime which controls each and every aspect of
human personality and life, and takes into its fold all human activities in the
social, economic, political, educational, religious and cultural spheres. No
margin for individual liberty and human rights is left behind. Nothing against
Kagame is allowed, everything is for and from Kagame, everything is
Kagame and his RPF, nothing is allowed or exists outside Kagame and his RPF.
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