The decision by the Rwandan Supreme Court rejecting the nomination of Salama Uwamurera to the country’s Senate on grounds of inexperience, steals the headline for the local newspapers on Tuesday with some of them citing lack of experience in governance and leadership as one of the reasons.
In an article, entitled “Rejected: Supreme Court Overrules Senate Nomination “, the KT Press newspaper wrote that Uwamurera, a member of the Ideal Democratic Party (PDI), was elected by the National Consultative Forum of Political Organisations (NFPO) on September 19.
The Executive Secretary of the political parties’ forum Oswald Burasanzwe confirmed the development but did not want to elaborate on what exactly the Supreme Court considered, according to the newspaper.
In another article, The New Times, a progovernment daily published in Kigali reported that besides Presidential appointees, all the other Senate-elect candidates require vetting by the Supreme Court before they are given a green light.
Uwamurera sits on her party’s arbitration committee and has been an employee of the Rusizi District One-Stop Center, the newspaper said.
It is expected that once the new candidate from the forum is approved, the Senate will be fully constituted and will await orders from President Paul Kagame dissolving the outgoing chamber to pave the way for the swearing-in.
So far Rwandan President Paul Kagame has named four individuals including two women as his Senate choices.
According to the constitution, the president is mandated to appoint eight of the 26 Senators with particular consideration to the principles of national unity, the representation of historically marginalised groups and any other national interest.
Rwanda Senate is made up of 26 members – including 12 members who represent the country’s four provinces and the City of Kigali and are picked through electoral colleges – and eight senators appointed by the president.
Four senators are designated by the Consultative Forum of Political Organisations, one senator represents public universities and higher learning institutions, while another one is picked from private universities and institutions of higher learning.
CU/as/APA