Politics

Agathon Rwasa appeals to Home Affairs Ministry decision

MP Agathon Rwasa says his new political party ( National Liberty Front-FNL Amizero y’Abarundi) seeking to be approved hasn’t any similarity with any existing political party. “It is not at all identical in reality,” he has said after submitting a letter shedding light on the arguments advanced by the Home Affairs Ministry as a reaction to his request on 8 November.

Agathon Rwasa: “It is not at all identical in reality”

Agathon Rwasa: “It is not at all identical in reality”

Rwasa says the correspondence which the minister sent to him two months after submitting the requirements for his new party to be approved indicates that the ministry had concerns with regard to Article 27 of 10 September 2011 which stipulates that: “Without prejudice to acquired rights, no political party is allowed to use a name, an acronym or other signs that are identical or similar to those of another party “.

Agathon Rwasa also says they conformed to the law such as it is written. “I had to react to these concerns of the Home Affairs Ministry and everything is clear about acronyms, emblems and the motto of the political party. We are waiting for the feedback,” says Rwasa.

In a correspondence issued on 8 November, Pascal Barandagiye, Minister of Home Affairs said he could not approve a new political party which has many similarities with another existing political party.

On 24 September, Jacques Bigirimana, FNL Party Chairman had said Agathon Rwasa had violated the law and stolen another existing party. Agathon Rwasa denied the accusations.