Kigali, 22nd November 2017 -Mpayimana Philippe, former candidate, reacts against the flight ahead of his former colleague in the race for the presidency of Rwanda.
If it is enough to want to enter politics because you are in exile or because you have the means to flee, there are several thousand Rwandans who would apply for each election.
But if we have taken the time to build our political project that uses the same language both inside and outside the country, we are not many to start this exercise.
The statements made by my former colleague in the race for the Rwandan presidency, Gilbert Mwenedata, who is speaking on an exile radio, on the 13th minute, do not encourage Rwandan citizens to contribute to the national political edifice.
Mpayimana Philippe ran in the Rwandan elections in complete independence and freedom, far from giving the impression of a manipulated politician. I have thanked and I still praise the acceptance of my candidacy, as a great step towards democracy in our country.
If the unsuccessful colleagues are prosecuted or questioned by the judicial services, nothing leads any opinion to interpret my present freedom as an accomplice of power.
This freedom rather appreciated by the power and the people should serve as lesson to all the Rwandan opposition to understand what kind of valid opposition to the Rwandan or African democracy, namely: the opposition of my style, the progressive opposition, constructive, non-revenge, respectful of other political opponents.
This is the kind of style advocated by the Mandela Institute at an International Conference on the challenges of the opposition in Africa, held in Paris last November 4th.
Then, I maintain my wishes for Rwandan justice as independent of power as my position is also independent. And it is not exile that will make us free, but the clarity of what we wish for our country and the contribution we are ready to make.
Panorama
