Rwanda Supreme Court dismisses case challenging removal of presidential term

Rwanda’s Supreme Court on Thursday ruled in favour of changing the constitution in the case submitted by the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, vs the Government of Rwanda, regarding the non-lifting of Presidential Term Limits from the Constitution.

Rugege said the court would not deprive Rwandan citizens of their rights.

Third-term presidential campaigns have caused unrest in other African states.

The supreme court rejected challenges from the opposition party over parliament’s move to abolish term limits this summer, stating, “All depends on the opinions of the people”.

The constitutional changes must pass a referendum although there is little chance of them failing due to Kagame’s influence in the media and as his popularity as a nation-builder based on the 1994 genocide.

Kagame became president in 2000 after serving as the country’s de facto leader since the end of the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

Millions of people, including opposition politicians have petitioned parliament to debate and lift term limit to facilitate Kagame’s third term run and the legislature has agreed to debate the issue.

Later this month, the Republic of Congo holds a vote on constitutional changes that would allow President Denis Sassou Nguesso to extend his 18-year stay in office. Burundi’s president Pierre Nkurunziza’s run for a third term in July resulted in months of protests and an attempted coup. The country’s constitutional court ruled the president’s first term in 2005 did not count because he had been elected by parliament instead of voters.

“There are clear procedures to ensure that constitution amendment is not abused”, he said.