Opposition alleges exclusion from the National Dialogue

 

Participants raise their hands to ask questions at the recent National Dialogue Council (Umushyikirano). Photo/Cyril Ndegeya 

In Summary

• We were not invited and our messages were gagged, say parties as they allege lack of debate at meeting, but organisers rubbish the claims.

By Special Correspondent, Rwanda Today

Members of the political opposition are calling for an all-inclusive national dialogue that will bring all voices to the table to debate challenges faced by the country.

Opposition members allege that the recent 11th National Dialogue Council, also known as Umushyikirano, which was attended by senior government officials, youth representatives from around the country, Rwandans from the diaspora, diplomats and the civil society isolated people who are considered “anti-government.”



Umushyikirano, which is in the Constitution, has been praised by many people as among Rwanda’s successful homegrown initiatives to bring leaders and ordinary citizens together to tackle the country’s challenges in an open and transparent manner.

Yet, the opposition claims that the national dialogue only brings together people who are in agreement rather than those debating issues.

Frank Habineza, the head of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, said the two-day event, to which his party was not invited, did not qualify to be called a national dialogue.

‘Real dialogue’

“To make it a real dialogue, it would need to include both opposition groups inside and outside the country and several other stakeholders in the country,” said Mr Habineza. “In that case, it would be an all-inclusive National Dialogue, what in Kinyarwanda would be called Inama Rukokoma.”

Mr Habineza however said he received a phone call from the National Political Parties Forum informing him to collect a badge for one of his members.

In its current form, the Greens say, the national dialogue is like a “thanksgiving ceremony” which lacks the all-inclusive attributes.

“We would also like to see debate taking place, with some people agreeing and others disagreeing but at the end all accepting to move together as a nation,” he said.




PS Imberakuri said messages from its members were gagged during the meeting.

“We organised a group of young people to use the different platforms to engage the country’s leadership by raising some of the pertinent issues that were not discussed but none of them came through,” said Alexis Bakunzibake, the secretary-general of the PS Imberakuri faction loyal to the jailed founding member Bernard Ntaganda.

The opposition also observed that many of the participants were “pro-government” and “concurred” on many occasions rather than debating.

‘Doesn’t make sense’

“What sense does it make when everyone in the room says ‘yes’ and applauds every time an issue is raised?” posed Boniface Twagirimana, interim vice-president of the yet-to-be-registered FDU Inkingi.

The organisers, including the Office of the President, Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Local Government, however insist that no one was barred from the dialogue. They said anyone was free to use the various platforms — including SMS messages, phone calls, tweets and Facebook posts for their voice to be heard.