President Paul Kagame waves to hundreds of supporters outside the NEC offices after he had delivered nomination papers for his candidature in the August 4 Presidential polls
Straight from delivering nomination papers to the National Electoral Commission (NEC) as candidate of the ruling RPF party, President Paul Kagame defended performance of his party at a press conference where he also addressed several other issues.
Kagame assured security for residents of Rusizi district in Western Province where an attack on Tuesday around 8pm left several casualties. Gunmen stormed villages shooting people.
KT Press brings you some highlights from the press conference.
Local politics:
“You will find politics affecting everything in daily life.”
“Even when you are doing your own business, some of what you meet in the field of doing business will be politics.”
“Even if you are a medical doctor doing your job in a clinic, in a hospital that you may call private, you will meet politics one way or another affecting you.”
African Union reforms process: “This was something created and demanded by the African leaders themselves.”
“All they did was to select me and said ‘can you give us proposals’ which I did.”
“For me they are actually asking me to do the simple thing. The big part is going to be done by them.”
“For me to sit down with a team of people and propose good ideas is a simple process. The challenging part comes when you have to do it.”
With RPF party top brass, President Kagame delivered nomination papers to NEC chief Prof Kalisa Mbanda
U.S. criticism of Rwanda’s decision to ban second-hand clothes and hint at possible sanctions: “Rwanda or other countries in the region or in Africa that are part of this AGOA…they have to do other alternative things.”
“We have to grow our economies. We have to grow and strengthen our industries.”
“If I am going to establish a process by which our industries are going to grow and one of them is say textile industry and somebody says ‘no…if you do that, I will punish you’….”
“We appreciate AGOA but there is a much bigger issue for Rwanda…to grow textile industries for that matter.”
“If the deal is we become a dumping ground for 2nd-hand clothes to qualify for AGOA, then we choose to grow our industries.”
Other presidential candidates allegedly harassed: “It would be wrong on the part of these individuals who did it and in fact if they should be known. They should be held accountable for it whether it is RPF members or whichever members of our society. It is not right that they are doing that.”
“I say this as a candidate, as a President and as a person.”
Reforms in the next seven years: “My critique would be that, more was done than was expected.”
“Reforms have been taking place for as long as I can remember.”
Recent attacks in Rusizi district: “Investigation are ongoing and some who were involved in the attacks have been arrested.”
“The message I have for Rusizi residents is same as the message for all Rwandans; we feel we should find immediate solution to wherever there an issue of insecurity.”
“Those involved in the attack came from outside the country”
A message to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for failing to organize elections:
“No message to DRC.”
Issues and challenges RPF has in its leadership:
“Definitely there is someone who can take over from the President and chairman of RPF.”
“The current 33% accessibility to electricity came from nothing. A lot has been done and more unrecorded projects are ongoing.”
“But challenges are always there.”
Family planning:
“Family planning should be done in an appropriate way that favours generations to come.”
On assertion that Rwanda cannot survive without Kagame:
“Rwanda will remain even after Kagame. Those who say once Kagame is gone that will be the end of Rwanda, I disassociate myself from them”
