Re-think the proposal of 100 signatures for NGO’s

Editor, I read The New Times on daily basis and sometimes I feel the need to contribute or challenge things that are published in this paper. This time, for instance, I have been astonished to read that one lawmaker in the Lower Chamber suggested that local NGO’s should produce 100 Signatures before they can be given legal status. I sometimes get the impression some of our lawmakers lack sufficient knowledge in the nature of some of the matters they speak about. Before MP’s make a decision they must, first of all, take into consideration all the information there is on the topic and consult all the stakeholders before they think of even introducing a proposal. The MP’s must also inform themselves about regional and international norms. This is extremely important because Rwanda is actively engaging itself in the international forum by integrating herself in the global community. I believe that we should not necessarily reinvent the wheel when we attempt to introduce a new law into the Rwandan legal system. What that MP, who is attempting to pass the NGO law, is doing is something I disapprove of; in fact, it seems that she/he is simply lacking the knowledge of how NGO’s work and just how many forms of NGO’s exist. Its rather silly that every single type of NGO should have 100 signatories, why should they? What happens when they don’t have 100 people willing to sign? Shall a perfectly fine NGO be refused legal status? I would like to advise our lawmakers to first ask for expert opinion before they put their proposals into the public forum. Emmanuel Rubagumya rubagumyaemmanuel@hotmail.com

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Re-think the proposal of 100 signatures for NGO’s