EALA Speaker hails Rwanda for gains made. The International Conference on Governance and Democracy has taken place in Kigali, Rwanda, with a call for renaissance on the African continent to strengthen democratic governance and discourse. The one day conference which is part of the activities marking Rwanda’s 50 years independence celebrations was organized to provide an ideal setting for policy leaders, policy makers and scholars to reflect on Rwanda’s and Africa’s fifty years of independence.
Presenters at the conference called for the strengthening of governance and democracies to enhance the cause of unique social and economic development in the countries. In his remarks, the President of the Rwanda Senate, Dr. Jean Damascene Ntawukuliryayo reiterated the need for the continent to address the various challenges which he termed ‘chronic’.
“Africa’s problems cannot be wholly attributed to colonialism but to endemic problems of poverty, ignorance and disease which weaken our every social fabric”, Dr. Ntawukuliryayo remarked. The President of the Senate noted that Rwanda was committed to ensuring its sustained development record including that of the EAC. He hailed countries in Africa which stood for democracy and good governance and called on parts of the continent mired by strife to systematically build their political and economic systems.
The Speaker of EALA, Rt. Hon Margaret Zziwa hailed President Paul Kagame and the citizens of the nation for the progress so far as the nation marks its 50th Jubilee since independence. The Speaker noted that women in Rwanda continued to take a central role in offering solutions addressing the needs of the people and added that the recently ended RIO+20 Summit had emphasized sustainable programmes and policies as the way out to development.
The Speaker called on the region to anchor its economic strength as the move towards the Monetary Union is realized. ‘I want to appeal to the EAC to consider tightening of belts including saving and investing in the desire to build strong institutions and embracing the Monetary Union’, she said.
At the same time, the Speaker noted that the continent had suffered from the brunt of poor decisions and the plundering of economies. ‘Unfortunately, the Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP) introduced by the Bretton Woods Institutions did not help the cause’, Rt. Hon Zziwa said.
The Speaker appealed to the media to take the profession a notch higher as Members of the fourth estate. ‘It is time, they focused on development issues including investing in research and investigative journalism so as to reduce some of the problems of the continent’, she said.
Prof Jendayi Fraser, a former US Under-Secretary for African Affairs, tasked citizens of the continent to take charge of their own destiny noting that Africa’s diversities needed to be properly managed. ‘We must enhance the provision of the basic needs for all individuals, ensure strong economic inclusivity and embrace rule of law’, she said. Prof Fraser congratulated Rwanda saying the country had continued to strengthen the architecture for governance adding that the conference was a relevant and timely initiative.
Kenya’s Trade Minister, Moses Wetangula noted that tremendous transformation was been realized in the continent and that the future lay in parameters underpinning growth.
‘More than 75% of African countries today carry out democratic challenges, even though challenges including election fraud, disparities and qualities of democracies still remained. We must cross the bridge as we move to the future’, Hon Wetangula added.
The Minister noted that fabulous growth in the service, mining and agricultural sectors had been realized. He called on the continent to rid itself from the pills of donor funding and to embrace regional economic communities as building blocks for the continent’s supra-integration.
The conference was organized by the Government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) in collaboration with Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC), National Electoral Commission and the Parliament of Rwanda.
The conference was preceded by a two-day (June 28 - 29, 2012) International Seminar Exchanges on Governance and Democracy. The Pre-conference exchanges amongst researchers and practitioners offered an important opportunity for defining fundamental principles necessary for constructing effective democracies in Africa. Topics discussed during the Pre-conference included the state, citizenship and nation building in Africa, elections and elections management in Africa, democratization, regional integration and African –West relations and enhancing partnerships among others.
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