Rwandan President Seeks Controversial Third Term

President Paul Kagame seeks a third term in office after parliament approved an amendment to the constitution, according to Al Jazeera. Kagame has built a reputation as a reformer, but critics cite his authoritarian style of governance and human rights abuses as reasons he should leave office.

According to voting results, over 98 percent of Rwandans approved a measure allowing Kagame to remain in power after his official term ends in 2017. The changes in the constitution would allow the president to remain in power until 2034.

President Paul Kagame seeks a third term in office after parliament approved an amendment to the constitution, according to Al Jazeera. Kagame has built a reputation as a reformer, but critics cite his authoritarian style of governance and human rights abuses as reasons he should leave office.

According to voting results, over 98 percent of Rwandans approved a measure allowing Kagame to remain in power after his official term ends in 2017. The changes in the constitution would allow the president to remain in power until 2034.

Kagame is one of many African leaders seeking another term beyond his official limit. Violence and protests erupted in Congo and Burundi as heads of state maintain power, but Kagame is widely popular. In early 2015, over 60 percent of voters signed a petition approving the popular leader’s extended tenure.

The parliament scaled back presidential term limits from seven to five years, but officials made an exception for Kagame, who could run for a seven-year term after 2017, and he may run for two additional five-year terms thereafter. The government does not believe violence would erupt over Kagame’s decision to hold onto power, but history says otherwise when considering the numerous protests in the region, and the president risks destroying the country’s long track record of peace by staying in office beyond his official mandate.

The United States and EU nations condemned his decision, believing a Kagame bid would undermine the democratic process. Kagame is a Tutsi who led campaigns against the Hutu during the Rwanda genocide of the 1990s. He became president in 2000 and led the nation out of its war-torn past to become one of the most viable emerging markets in Africa.

With that, the government has faced criticism for its crackdown on dissent and expression, and allowing Kagame to run beyond his limit further erodes Rwanda’s credibility within the international community.

Moreover, watchdog groups accuse Rwanda of fudging its poverty numbers. Official government data shows poverty on the decline, but recent reports highlight a 6 percent rise in destitution.

Regardless of the data, Rwanda’s poverty rate is higher according to international guidelines, despite Kagame’s development and poverty reduction programs. Rural residents contend with low living standards, and national statistics claim that 45 percent of Rwandans live in poverty — a number that exceeds 60 percent when considering international standards, notes the New Times.

Numerous studies have highlighted the link between poverty and education in Rwanda and other parts of Africa, but experts do not know whether the government will divert more resources to education. While development remains crucial, an educated populace would attract more investor interest while cementing the Central African nation’s status as a strong developing market that can compete on the world stage.