The salient features of Paul Kagame's dictatorship

23.11.2012

As dictator, Kagame shares all characteristics of dictatorship with many world dictators.  

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 wellbeing 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 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.