Opponent of Rwandan president says there is fear ahead of vote

Record ID: 904827

  • Title: Opponent of Rwandan president says there is fear ahead of vote
  • Date: 1st August 2017
  • Summary: KIGALI, RWANDA (AUGUST 1, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF KIGALI STREETS KIGALI, RWANDA (JULY 30, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SALVATION MOVEMENT CHAIRPERSON, DIANE RWIGARA, STANDING WITH SUPPORTERS MALE PEOPLE SALVATION MOVEMENT SUPPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) PEOPLE SALVATION MOVEMENT CHAIRPERSON, DIANE RWIGARA, SAYING: "I would say that the main issues are fear and control by the state and also greed. RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front) owns all businesses, most big businesses in the country and they keep wanting more and more. So I would say that fear, control and greed are the three main issues in Rwanda." PEOPLE SALVATION MOVEMENT CHAIRPERSON, DIANE RWIGARA, STANDING WITH SUPPORTERS AROUND TABLE FACE OF RWIGARA T-SHIRT READING (English): "Diane Shima RWIGARA" (SOUNDBITE) (English) PEOPLE SALVATION MOVEMENT CHAIRPERSON, DIANE RWIGARA, SAYING: "I do not need to personally revenge my father and my father is just one of the many victims of this regime, so I am speaking on behalf of everybody who has been a victim and who is not able to get their voice heard." JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (AUGUST 1, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRE FOR AFRICAN RENAISSANCE STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA, SHADRACK GUTTO, TALKING ON HIS PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRE FOR AFRICAN RENAISSANCE STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA, SHADRACK GUTTO, SAYING: "I think there is a position now for political parties to try and put forward leaders who will take Rwanda forward and so there is room open there, it is a question of how the political parties, opposition political parties, will try to push themselves forward and to win the confidence of the people, but it doesn't mean that the ruling party will not have leaders who want to lead. So it is not just political opposition parties but the ruling political party and the opposition parties trying to position themselves to go beyond the current president." RUHANGA, RWANDA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CAMPAIGN RALLY FOR PRESIDENT PAUL KAGAME KAGAME TAKING STAGE AND WAVING JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (AUGUST 1, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRE FOR AFRICAN RENAISSANCE STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA, SHADRACK GUTTO, SAYING: "I think that Rwanda has a lot to do in terms of building questions of freedom of expression in the country, freedom of really having people expressing themselves and so on. That has not been encouraged by the current presidency and it is one which needs to be there and one which needs to be promoted so that we have freedom of expression, freedom of information, freedoms of people being able, really, to express their opposition or support of whatever government is there or of opinions in public."
  • Embargoed: 15th August 2017 18:40
  • Keywords: Rwanda election Rwandan President Paul Kagame opposition Professor Shadrack Gutto Diane Rwigara
  • Location: KIGALI AND RUHANGA, RWANDA/ JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
  • City: KIGALI AND RUHANGA, RWANDA/ JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
  • Country: Rwanda
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016SBSYFB
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: As Rwanda votes in a presidential election on August 4, critics have complained of a lack of civil liberties in the east African country.
    Among them is Diane Rwagira who was disqualified from contesting against President Paul Kagame. The National Electoral Commission said she did not meet set requirements, national media reported.
    Her father died in a car accident in 2015 that her family maintains was politically motivated.
    Kagame is widely admired for restoring stability to the East African nation after its 1994 genocide, presiding over rapid economic growth and a relatively corruption-free government.
    But rights activists say that came at the expense of civil liberties. Some of Kagame's political opponents have been killed after they fled abroad, in cases that remain unsolved.
    Already in power for 17 years, Kagame has predicted he will win overwhelming popular backing for a third term and brushed off accusations of stifling political debate.
    Kagame is able to run for the third term only after constitutional changes were approved in a 2015 referendum by what the opposition and Western diplomats described as a suspiciously high 98 percent vote.
    Appearing in one of his last rallies before the elections, Kagame told hundreds of cheering supporters of his Rwanda Patriotic Front that victory would ensure economic growth in the tiny East African nation.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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