They will know that Negative Ideology no longer sells

There seems to be an unending war of words between the two founder leaders of the recently formed Parti Sociale (PS-Imberakuri). The two men, Bernad Ntaganda and Noel Hakizimfura, were reported to be trading accusations and counter accusations of genocide ideology. Who of the two is telling the truth, will come out as the political temperatures in their minion political party continue to rise. What is clear is that the recently formed political party has inherent contradictions. Contradictions in political organizations are not necessarily bad, as it is through ideological contradictions that ideas are sharpened. But when the ideology on which such contradictions are hinged, is as dangerous as the genocide ideology at the centre of the ruckus in Imberakuri, then even those who care less about politics get concerned. Veiled messages or insinuations that appeal to ethnic solidarity can wreck society and ought not to have space in Rwanda given the history of the country. What political parties based on the ideology of power belonging to what they believed was a demographic majority did to Rwanda, is well known and the memory is too fresh. I will return to this group later. Last weekend when FDU-Inkingi supremo, Ingabire Umuhoza appeared on BBC Gahuza Miryango’s Invo Ni Ivano program, she spoke in a language that can be interpreted for anything as one commentator seemed to put it in these pages earlier this week. Such messages, veiled as they are, can have dangerous implications. We recall that such language was used for more sinister purposes and outcomes. When one looks at Ingabire’s profile, on the popular free encyclopedia Wikipedia, an obviously sympathetic one, and written most probably by a supporter to burnish her image (One can even write a self aggrandizing profile on this popular site), you get to see a picture that seems to contradict the insinuations and veiled messages in her rhetoric. Now that she is back from the Netherlands, a place she made home for sixteen years and in addition to others of her ilk on the way, as they say, we will be able to judge her up-close. And on her part, she will find out whether her rhetoric, however populist, resonates with the Rwandan people’s hopes and aspirations. She will also probably get wowed by the progress that many others have praised, comparatively with other African countries. Many Rwanda politicians, many in self imposed exile, believe that Rwandans still think in terms of the propagated ethnic divide and its implications as was the case years ago; before the proponents of such thinking, hit a dead end in their negative goals. And some, in the hope of selling that, and thinking that it can lead them to power, are already chest thumping and talking of trooping in as the country prepares for the August presidential elections. Many Rwandans, I believe will be interested in knowing if Ingabire is willing to publicly denounce some in her political entourage/ alliance of organisations who are known to have links, or are actively involved with the genocidal Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda or those whose history is entwined with genocide activities in 1994. Again, on PS Imberakuri, as the head of the party Bernard Ntaganda said, if their hullabaloo is over the said money that is alleged to have originated from Europe, then I think there is a problem in these guys’ thinking- the dependency mentality of some political party leaders. It is absurd that instead of looking at selling membership cards and fundraising from those who subscribe to the party, a group aspiring to national leadership looks at Europeans as a primary source of money to fund their activities in Rwanda. Given the alliance that has been reported between Ntaganda’s PS Imberakuri and Ingabire, one would also be interested in seeing how their campaign for the highest office in the land evolves, given that they have ranted about how there is no political space in the country. It is more interesting then that they are the ones that have immersed themselves in the same process they have always sought to discredit. The world of politicians never ceases to amaze indeed. We realize that many oppositionist politicians out there, even the most virulent ones, realize that Rwanda is a success story. But for reasons they know best, will never admit so, although some of their decisions inadvertently betray them. frank2kagabo@yahoo.com