All political parties can present candidates for the Senate Presidency-Dr Biruta

Dr Biruta Vincent who is the President of the PSD political party  told the Isango star that all the political parties legally recognized in the country can compete for the position of the President of the Senate regardless of their  respective political parties.

The host journalists said that according to the constitution, all the parties are legally allowed to present their candidates for the Presidency of  the Senate. The issue for  the journalists was find out whether the PSD will present its candidates to that post while the Prime Minister is also the member of the PSD as well.

Dr Biruta  started by acknowledging that the resignation of the former President of the senate was a bad news for the rest of the PSD but added that as he took the decision himself and that his position was in harmony with the Constitution, the PSD accepted the reality.

“We cannot say that his resignation was a good news for us’ Dr Biruta said. But  we accepted the reality as the decision to remove him from the position was taken according to the Law governing the Senate and with the will of his fellow senators, he continued.

The constitution stipulates that the procedure governing the appointment of high officials’ hinders the President of the chambers of deputies from being member of the political party the same as the one of  the Head of State therefore but other political parties are allowed to present their candidates to any other high political positions, Dr Biruta says.

The President of the Senate is elected by senators and is allowed to be part of any political party, including the ruling one, Biruta said.

He added that the Constitution, at the other side,  provides the Head of state with special rights to appoint a Prime Minister from any political party he finds worthy.

Consequently, all the political parties are allowed to compete for the current vacant Senate Presidency position, including the members of the PSD.

Muganwa Gonzagua who was an invited  journalist said that  Dr Ntawukuriryayo did an analysis and found it would wise to resign.

As the aim of the letter was to ask for an immediate meeting to analyze the situation within the functioning of the Senate, this was a sign of something went wrong, he said.

Gonzagua said that as the some of the RPF senators were very influential in regard with the situation at hand, this was a sign that something serious was to happen, adding that even the Head of State  was informed about the situation and backed the wish for change.

In Rwanda, there is no political talk and debate but a consensus that leads to cohesion of a common purpose.

If the President of the Senate would not accept to resign, therefore the situation would be very chaotic due to the importance and political position that the President of Senate represents.

Gonzagua said that what the  constitution  stipulates differs from how it is applied. He said that for him, MPs  from the Chamber of deputies are ones who really represent citizens and the ones to vote the laws.

Dr Biruta refuted this point, saying that both Deputies and Senators are important for the functioning of the House and for the benefit of all Rwandans.

He added that the Constitution has an article stipulating the sharing of high political positions in the government but regarding the application of this article, some exceptions can be made so that less influential political parties can be provided with influential positions other  than the one of the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.

The application of the law does not necessarily oblige that the Senate will be managed by the PSD member. Other officials from any other political party can manage the office, Biruta said.

Asked whether there cannot be an emotional incentive as regard to the selection of the one to occupy the Presidency of the Senate, Dr Biruta responded that this cannot happen due to the fact that, according to the constitution, all the political parties are shared with ruling positions in all spheres of political administration of the nation.

The Articles 58, 59, 60 of the Constitution does not accept these consensual sharing of political positions to share power with the rest of parties other than the ones that the constitution dictates, one of the show presenters highlighted.

Dr Biruta said that the basic points of the constitution are applied but more has to be done beyond the constitution as to be more inclusive and holistic so to involve all the parties in the occupation of high ranking political positions in the government.

Solange said that in other countries,  there is a custom according which if the President of the senate resigns, officials from his political party gives to the population further explanation about the ongoing cases, asking  why this did not happen in Rwanda.

Gonzagua responds that the issue was mainly between Dr Ntawukuriryayo and other senators instead of being between RPF and PSD. That is why journalists were investigating on the situation from that angle, he added.

Dr Biruta backed Muganwa adding that the issue of Ntawukuriryayo did not involve the PSD because his deeds was not based on the political guidelines of the PSD party, therefore the party was not obliged to explain the issue to the population.

The election of the senators is not based on political parties’ representation  and this excludes the fact that Ntawukuriryayo’s resignation involved the role or responsibility of the PSD party.

The journalists played their role in investigating both sides in regard to this issue, Muganwa said.

Because of the consensus, some and few political parties are the ones that rule and this excludes other parties from competing for the ruling and this hinders the democratic system, Muganwa said.

Listeners said that this is a sensitive that involves political power sharing through a consensual procedure applied by people who might be less knowledgeable about political procedures.

There is not sharing procedure but a rotational way of power sharing between similar people,one of the listeners said.

This weekly show takes place every Sunday from 2 to 3 PM and aims at helping Rwandans understand the current political situation both at national and international scenes.

It is supervised by the Institut Panos Europe and  ARJ with the Sponsorship of the European Union and the Netherlands Embassy.

UM– USEKE.RW