Rwanda: The population forced to make contributions to fund farcical parliamentary elections.

The RPF regime INKOTANYI is in full gear preparing parliamentary elections on September 16,2013 in which no individual or party critical of the regime will take part. Leaders of key opposition parties are in jail for politically motivated reasons. These include the chair of FDU-Inkingi Mrs Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, Bernard Ntaganda, chair of PS Imberakuri, Deo Mushayidi of Chair PDP/Imanzi Party etc. To add insult to injury, the henchmen of the regime are busy putting pressure on the population to pay dues to finance the so-called elections.

The impoverished people who are already complaining of lack of financial resources to meet repeated demands for financial contribution are yet being asked to dig deeper in their empty pockets to make contributions to fund the elections. They have no choice but to find the money otherwise they would be accused of opposing government policy and of lack of patriotism, something that has serious consequences from the regime but also exacerbates their frustration and resentment. Every citizen 18 years of age and unemployed must pay a contribution of 500FRW and 2000FRW 10 000 Rwf if one is employed or is a trader. This means that the unemployed has to sell his/her possessions including food crops, or farm animals to get the money.

 

Yet, whether in numerous radio and television broadcasts, whether on the site of the electoral commission, there was never any mention of a shortage of financial resources to fund the elections. It leaves one speechless to see that the authorities at all levels of government are working tirelessly to get these contributions to fund these elections, even using threats that money would be taken directly from salaries if the contributions are not made voluntarily.  The Electoral Commission had even publicly stated that everything was in place for the organisation of these elections. One therefore wonders about what went wrong with the regime to move to the position of holding the population at ransom to fund those elections.

FDU INKINGI condemns these malpractices of INKOTANYI RPF to demand contributions at every opportunity and abruptly from a population that is already overburdened by numerous taxes including Agaciro Fund contribution, contributions for security, cleanliness, education, for social solidarity, health, contribution RPF political party, etc …).

 

FDU-INKINGI

Boniface Twagirimana

Interim Vice-President

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