HOME-ACCUEIL - ENGLISH - FRANCAIS - KINYARWANDA

In his today’s speech, Kagame said he finds himself �everyday� explaining to donors who accuse his government of stifling political rights. Imitating how he conducts himself with politeness, the President said �I have to keeping answering �YES SIR, YES MADAM��,� as the whole audience erupted in loud applause.

�Even those from countries that have failed to form governments for a long time come here demanding good governance,� said Kagame in seeming reference to Belgian Minister for Development Cooperation, Charles Michel, who was in the country last week and made strong comments about the political situation in the country.

�Imagine being taught good governance by a person who has failed to form a government in his own country,� said Kagame amid more applause, adding that he finds more trouble explaining to his donors because they do not want to listen to his side of the story.

In an article published today of the Rwandan RPF newspaper New Times, and titled “Geert Wilders is in court, why isn�t there an outcry?” Sam Rwego raises the question of Human Rights double standards regarding freedom of speech.
Kagame echoed the same in his speech today during the swearing-in ceremony of his government.

The case “white is right“:

Where is the international outrage? Geert Wilders and Victoire Ingabire in court. (Net photo)

Listen to audio clip: Kagame uses Geert Wilders court case to illustrate western double standards

- To listen to whole speech, go to Kagame speech - ministers' swearing-in ceremony - 6th Oct. 2010

There is a huge case that is transfixing the Dutch population and it involves Geert Wilders. Many may not have probably ever heard of him, and I too didn�t know him until a few months ago. I heard about him because of the dangerous views he, and his party spewed about Islam and Muslims.

His hard-line party, which, interestingly enough, won about twenty seats in the Dutch parliament and therefore have become kingmakers, is called, funny enough, Party for Freedom.

I don�t know whether he is pulling peoples� legs, but I�m sure that he really doesn�t want freedom for Muslims. He called Islam a religion of violence and has attacked the hijab, the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women.

He is so crazy that the British Home Office actually tried to ban him from entering the United Kingdom; he was only let in when he appealed the decision in court. As anyone knows, the UK will allow all sorts of people enter its territory the fact that they tried to keep him out tells us something. He�s a bad, bad man.

Well, he�s now in court being charged with inciting discrimination and hatred and with insulting a people on religious grounds, punishable with up to a year in jail and a fine. And what do I say about that? Good for the Dutch.

However, I�m very confused about this whole thing. He�s said some very strange things that have hurt people and he�s in court. Victoire Ingabire said some strange things and she is in court.

However, there hasn�t been a worldwide outcry over Mr. Wilders while there was one over Mrs. Ingabire. I always thought the outcry, especially from human rights organisations, was about �free speech�.

Well, I thought Wilders exercised his free speech right to say things like �if Muslims want to stay here, they must tear out half the Quran and toss it�.

Well, I guess he is having his day in court and so is Ingabire. So, why is Rwanda being accused of �silencing� her while the Netherlands isn�t being accused of doing the same?

I mean, unlike Mrs. Victoire Ingabire, he was actually polled as the most popular politician in Holland. Although that is a bit of a worry. But fair is fair. Is it because we are a �black state� and �white is right�?

JOHANNESBURG � South African police officers say that one of the accused in the attempted murder of an exiled Rwandan general offered a $1 million bribe to police to release him upon arrest.

A South African court on Thursday denied Pascal Kanyandekwe bail because of sworn affidavits from two police officers describing the offered bribe. The magistrate said if Kanyandekwe tried to avoid arrest, he may have intent to flee.

Gen. Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa has been in South Africa since reportedly falling out with Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Nyamwasa’s wife says Kagame was behind the shooting of her husband in Johannesburg in June that left him hospitalized with a bullet wound in the stomach. Rwanda’s government denies involvement.

The magistrate said he would not speculate on whether the murder attempt was backed by the Rwandan government.

[Associated Press]

Presiding his ministers’ swearing-in ceremony today, General Kagame concluded his speech with a brief allusion to the UN report about genocide against Hutus.
Listen to audio clip Kagame about genocide of Hutus where Kagame talks about the report in a typically rwandan coded style.
He says: “our rights are not subordinated to other people’s rights”. One would think he means Rwandans’ rights, Tutsis and Hutus alike!

Kigali – The Ugandan envoy in Kigali says Rwandan officials have not declared to him the reasons why two Ugandans are being held here after they were allegedly picked up by Rwandan military personnel last moth.

The two detainees Simpson Mpirirwe and Didas Ndamiye currently being held at Police Headquarters in Kacyiru, were arrested about 20 days ago at the Cyanika border post to the north east of Rwanda.

On Tuesday, the Ugandan envoy Richard Kabonero was granted access to see them after filing the request on September 22.

Kabonero says although he met the detained men at the Police HQ, reasons for their arrest had not been given.

�My September 22 request to allow the men consular access was finally granted yesterday. I met them and they are in good health,� Kabonero told the Ugandan government daily New Vision on Wednesday evening.

He said after the 30 minute supervised visit, Kabonero says he asked the Kigali police to expedite investigations and give reasons for arrest.

�As we wait for the report, we have written to the Rwandan government asking for details of the holding charge. We�ve also asked to be allowed more consular services and accord the men legal consul access and family visits.

Our request is for the investigations to be completed as soon as possible so that they are charged or released� Kabonero explained.

He commended the Kigali foreign affairs ministry and police authorities for granting him access to the prisoners.

�Our priority was to asses their health and ensure that they are in no physical danger. They both assured me that they have not been manhandled and they have been receiving their meals regularly,� Kabonero said.

Rwandan officials have not commented publicly about the incident, apart from the interview Rwandan envoy to Uganda Maj Gen. Frank Mugambage gave last week in which he said the two detainees face serious cases.

Meanwhile, in the border town of Kabale � a major gateway for Rwanda into Uganda, demonstration have been held for two days. On Monday, more than 500 demonstrators were blocked by Ugandan police, but were left to protest on Tuesday.

They carried placards denouncing Rwanda and at some point blocked Rwandan vehicles from entering Uganda through the Gatuna border post for some minutes.

Kigali – The 25-member cabinet team will on Thursday mid-morning take the Oath of Office before President Kagame to mark the start of government business � but with three positions still vacant.

The 22 cabinet ministers and 3 state ministers will � who will be continuing their tenures after President Kagame and PM Bernard Makuza agreed to retain the whole team, will swear before a joint session of Parliament. As usual, the fun-fare function will be attended by the country�s elite and diplomatic corps.

President Kagame was sworn-in for his seven-year term on September 06 � and reappointed PM Makuza to head the next government � essentially continuing in the same slot after 10 years. Makuza was sworn-in on September 14.

The cabinet is constituted by the Prime Minister in consultation with the President. The team which will swear today mid-morning is drawn from about four political parties � with the ruling RPF in control of all the major portfolios such as Defense, Finance, Local Government, Health, Infrastructure and Agriculture.

Currently, the Premier Makuza does not belong to any political party � after the MDR party he belonged was disbanded by Parliament several years ago over promoting ethnic divisionism and Genocide ideology. During the election campaigns, he wore T-shirts inscribed with the photo and names of President Kagame, BUT NOT THE RPF party.

Acting within the 30-day period within which a new government must be in place after the President has been elected, the PM will deliver his plan for where he wants the country to heading.

Addressing the new team, President Kagame is expected to indicate that a lot has been achieved, but that much more needs to be done. When accepting the Prime Minister�s Oath, the President rallied all officials to �pull� their shirts farther – as more needed to be accomplished to change the lives of millions who cast their votes for him.

The President has also complained about hygiene in schools � and the dirt in several towns such as Rubavu and Rusisi districts � both border urban centers.

As government begins the tenure in office, a controversial UN report alleging Rwandan troops massacred Rwandan refugees in DR Congo, is hanging over the country. President Kagame has not yet spoken about it in Rwanda � leaving that to officials at all levels who have taken turns to rubbish the 545-page document, but he has commented on it when outside Rwanda.

Government critics speaking from outside are also becoming more vocal with even threats of armed rebellion. Internally, the opposition politicians seem to be preoccupied by individual troubles such as court cases or just do not have any platform from where to speak. There have barely been any interviews on local media in several months as local media shy away from being associated with the embattled opposition figures.

However, the fierce critics often speak on the BBC and VOA Kinyarwanda services, and other foreign media.

A new Bill is currently before Parliament which will bring new changes on how government operates probably beginning next year. The President will be giving an annual address setting the government agenda. The Prime Minister will be required to appear before Parliament on regular basis.

The cabinet team taking the Oath today has three vacant positions. When Louise Mushikiwabo was moved to Foreign Affairs, the Information Ministry continues to be supervised by the Cabinet Affairs Minister, Protais Musoni.

In the Ministry of Infrastructure, in addition to the full cabinet minister, there are 3 junior portfolios � with only that of Minister of State in charge of Energy and Water occupied by Ms. Coletha UWINEZA RUHAMYA.

Others are Transport, and House & Human Resettlement. President Kagame and PM Makuza said earlier this year that the vacant slots would be filled at a later date.

[ARI-RNA]