Rwanda opposition figure barred from election race

A well-known opposition leader sought to have his prior convictions overturned, but a Rwandan court denied his request on Tuesday, banning him from running against President Paul Kagame in the July elections.

The 55-year-old Bernard Ntaganda, a fervent opponent of Rwanda's autocratic leader, filed a petition with the High Court in Kigali in February to have convictions from more than ten years ago overturned.
He is the second opposition leader to be disqualified from contesting against Kagame, who is favoured to win a second term in government, on July 15.

Based on Ntaganda's alleged nonpayment of court costs totaling about 106,000 Rwandan francs (around $82) associated with the prior lawsuit against him, a three-judge panel rendered a decision against him.

The court decision stated, "The High Court finds that Ntaganda did not abide by the laws that require individuals to request their conviction to be removed, and as a result, rejects his appeal."

Ntaganda, a lawyer and the PS-Imberakuri party's founder, claimed to have documentation that he had paid the costs, but the court's ruling “was not a surprising outcome”.

"The independence of the courts cannot be allowed by the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front," he said.

Although Ntaganda was detained prior to the election, she had intended to run against Kagame in 2010.

Before being released in 2014, he was convicted of inciting ethnic divides and endangering state security during a four-year prison sentence.

A person found guilty and given a sentence of more than six months in prison is barred from holding public office.
Victoire Ingabire, a fervent opponent of Kagame, was likewise disqualified to run in July when a judge in March declined to get her prior convictions overturned.

Since the genocide in 1994, Kagame, 66, has effectively led the small landlocked country; in 2000, he was elected president of a transitional administration.

He has since gone on to win elections in 2003, 2010 and 2017 with over 90% of the vote each time.

2015 saw the contentious revision of the constitution by Kagame, allowing him to run for two more terms and perhaps hold the position until 2034. The reforms also lowered the length of a presidential mandate from seven to five years starting with the 2024 election.

Diane Rwigara, another critic of Kagame, declared last week that she would be standing this year following being barred from the 2017 race over accusations she forged the signatures of supporters for her application.
She was taken into custody and imprisoned for over a year after being accused of forgery and encouraging rebellion.

This year, Frank Habineza of the Green Party and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana have also entered the race.

Although Kagame has received recognition for leading Rwanda's economy towards recovery following the genocide, he is frequently criticised for violating human rights and suppressing the opposition and free expression.

The administration of Rwanda chose to synchronise the dates of the elections last year, and on July 15, the country will hold both presidential and parliamentary elections.