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Rwanda’s Entrenched President
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Candidate
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| Contributor | IndyGeorgia |
| Last Edited | IndyGeorgia Jan 11, 2016 04:19pm |
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| Category | Opinion |
| Author | New York Times Editorial Board |
| Media | Newspaper - New York Times |
| News Date | Monday, January 11, 2016 10:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | During a New Year’s Day speech, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda pretended to be humbled by the outcome of a constitutional referendum that paved the way for him to seek a third term and, conceivably, rule until 2034.
“But I do not think our aim is to have a president for life, nor is it what I would want,” Mr. Kagame said. “Sooner, rather than later, this office will be transferred from one person to another in a manner that will serve a purpose, not merely set an example, whether for ourselves or others.”
Those words ring hollow. Mr. Kagame seems intent on staying in power indefinitely. Since he took the reins of this small east African country after the Rwandan genocide in 1994, he has become increasingly authoritarian, cracking down on freedom of expression and making it impossible for political opponents to organize.
He is among the leaders President Obama had in mind during a trip to Africa last year, when he proclaimed that “Africa doesn’t need strongmen.” Term limits have become a contentious issue on the continent in recent years. President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi caused a crisis last year by pressing for a third term. In Burkina Faso, a similar attempt by Blaise Compaoré in 2014 inspired protests that ultimately forced him to flee the country. |
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