The National Consultative Forum of Political Organisations will tomorrow conduct a fresh round of elections to choose who will replace senatorial candidate Salama Uwamurera who was disqualified by the Supreme Court yesterday on grounds of ‘inexperience’. The Forum’s Spokesperson, Christine Mukabunani, told The New Times that the Forum had welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision since it falls within their mandate to vet the candidates. “We welcomed the decision because their mandate requires us to hand them the dossiers of the candidate elect so that they can scrutinise them based on what is required by the constitution. Our next move is to hold elections to choose a replacement,” she said. The First Vice President of the Ideal Democratic Party (PDI), Abbas Mukama, told The New Times in a telephone interview that his party, to which Uwamurera belongs, agrees with the Supreme Court’s assessment. “We agree with the Supreme Court’s decision because it is based on the truth and it is an error on our part because, indeed, she hadn’t amassed enough experience to work as a senator yet. She fulfilled all the other qualities except for experience,” he said. For one to be elected or appointed as senator, he or she must be a Rwandan national of integrity with great experience, hold at least a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification or having occupied senior responsibilities in the public or private sector. They must not have been deprived of civil and political rights; must be at least forty years old; must not have been definitively sentenced to six-month or more imprisonment, which was not erased by amnesty or rehabilitation. Mukama said that experience is one of the top qualities that a senator must possess given the nature of the work. “Experience is a serious necessity, especially when it comes to supervising the application of fundamental principles. You need (the) capacity to make analysis, to advise the Government, and when you look at what she has done professionally so far, she doesn’t have that set of skills yet,” he said. The fundamental principles the Senate is in charge of applying include; fighting genocide ideology and all its manifestations, eradication of ethnic, regional and other divisions and promotion of national unity. They also include ensuring equitable sharing of power, building a state governed by the rule of law, equality of all Rwandans and between women and men, ensures the constant quest for solutions through dialogue and consensus among others. The PDI Executive Committee is expected to sit today to choose another candidate who they will field in tomorrow’s elections. Supreme Court vetting According to Article 105 of the constitution, after having designated senatorial candidates, the Consultative Forum of Political Organisations submits the files of candidates to the Supreme Court within three days for approval. Candidacies are examined behind closed doors by a college composed of two-thirds of judges of the Supreme Court, based on documents and other requirements. The Supreme Court’s decision cannot be appealed. Once the new candidate from the forum is approved, the next Senate will be fully constituted. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
