RWANDAN POLITICAL PARTIES IN DIASPORA SET UP A MONITORING COMMITTEE FOR JOINT IMPLEMENTATION OF THEIR PROJECT IN THE HOME COUNTRY.

Paris, March 10, 2013__ The People’s Defence Pact [PDP-IMANZI] and The Rwandan Dream Initiative [RDI-RWANDA RWIZA] political parties jointly held a meeting in Paris on Sunday March 10, 2013 with a view to assessing the progress in preparations for their joint activities within Rwanda.

After an overview of the many issues of a political, economic and socio-cultural character facing Rwanda, both parties expressed satisfaction at the convergence of their views on strategies to implement in order to get the country out of the current crisis. Reaffirming their status of opposition parties to the dictatorial regime of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and President Paul Kagame, PDP and RDI have criticized the lack of will and incompetence of the ruling party to provide relevant solutions to the Rwandan People’s dispair.

Both political parties have also stressed the urgent need for the opening of a democratic space in Rwanda, to enable all political forces to freely have their say and contribute effectively to the institutions of a healthy governance based on the rule of law, and to the improvement of living conditions of the population. In this regard, PDP and RDI noted with satisfaction that their joint project to conduice their political programs as opposition in Rwanda is taking significant steps. Particularly, encouraging contacts have been made at both diplomatic level and with other opposition parties based outside or inside the country.

Despite the hostility and the stubborn refusal by the RPF regime to open up a political space for full exercise of people’s freedoms, including the freedom of expression, the freedom of assembly and association, PDP and RDI are convinced that the most effective way to help people out of dispair is to establish their presence in the country so as to struggle along with the citizens for the opening of the democratic space.

Driven by this conviction, the two parties have decided to be present in Rwanda by the end of June 2013. They also set up a monitoring committee responsible for finalizing the preparations and organizing a series of communication activities, including a press conference in Brussels on Thursday March 28, 2013.

PDP-IMANZI and RDI-RWANDA RWIZA parties attest their full support and compassion to all Rwandans traumatized by the dictatorship of the RPF regime, in particular the prisoners of conscience and political prisoners, and reaffirm their commitment to continue the struggle for the freedom of all and their effective participation in the democratization process of our dear country.

Faustin Twagiramungu
President of the RDI-RWANDA RWIZA

Gerard Karangwa Semushi  
Vice-Chairman of PDP-IMANZI