Mukabarisa Donatille
Donatille Mukabarisa who served as the Speaker of the Lower Chamber of the 3rd Parliament was on Wednesday re-elected to head the 4th Parliament.
The 58-year-old Donatille Mukabarisa was the Speaker of the 3rd Parliament which was resolved in August this year.
She was elected by 80 members of Parliament at a voting exercise conducted after the swearing-in of new 80 members of the Lower Chamber of Parliament which was presided over by President Paul Kagame at the Parliamentary building in the capital Kigali.
Mukabarisa was unanimously elected with 80 votes.
Ruku Rwabyoma who served in the 3rd Parliament also campaigned against her. Rwabyoma’s bid was turned down by the law which prohibits the Speaker from the same party which provided the President. Rwabyoma entered Parliament on RPF ticket.
The elections were conducted under Article 60 of the Constitution which establishes branches of government including the legislature; the executive and the judiciary.
Former Justice Minister and Rwanda’s envoy to Canada Edda Mukabagwiza was elected Deputy Parliament Speaker in charge of legislative affairs and government oversight – winning with 75 votes out of 80 members of Parliament who voted.
Former Internal Security Minister and leader of Ideal Democratic Party Sheikh Musa Fazil Harelimana was elected Deputy Speaker in charge of Administration and Finance – winning with 76 votes against newly elected member of Parliament and leader of opposition Democratic Green Party of Rwanda Frank Habineza who got 4 votes.
In her first address to the 4th Parliament, Mukabalisa thanked Rwandans for the trust accorded to her team, and promised more achievements ahead.
“We thank Rwandans for their trust in us. We will build on the achievements of the 3rd term of Chamber of Deputies and work together with all institutions and Rwandans in general to effectively deliver on our constitutional mandate,” she said.
