![]() | The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Alfred Mukezamfura, was yesterday asked to step down from his position during a Live Talk Show on Contact FM. He was appearing on Ijambo nIryawe weekly programme, alongside Senate President Dr Vincent Biruta, hosted by Tom Ndahiro. Callers questioned Mukezamfuras credibility due to his alleged involvement in the 1994 Rwanda genocide in which he is alleged | to have incited the ethnic Hutus to mount roadblocks and attacks against the Tutsis. An estimated one million people mainly Tutsis died during in the 100-day slaughter. A caller, who only identified himself as Dukundane, said the intensity of the allegations backed by the available evidence, were enough to force the Speaker to call it quits. Before the 1994 genocide, he wrote an article in Imvaho newspaper inciting the public
to kill. Why doesnt he resign from the House? wondered Dukundane.
Mukezamfura (pictured), who was then the director of the State newspaper, authored an article in the papers edition number 1046, which was dubbed Imvaho Special in April, in which he allegedly incited the population to commit the genocide.
If I were him I would just be a gentleman and step aside. His (genocide) activities were well published and broadcasted in the media and; his fellow MPs have too urged him to step down. Why has he decided to ignore all those calls, wondered another caller.
Another caller, who identified himself as Gasasira suggested: Mukezamfura used the media to poison the public with his ideology; he should again write to cleanse that dirt
However in reaction, Mukezamfura insisted that his conscience has not yet directed him to resign.
This Talk show is about the procedures of how laws are passed in Parliament. However, should any lawsuit be filed against
me and I am summoned to answer those charges, I am ready to answer, he said.
He dared those who say he committed genocide to produce evidence. All those who accuse me should present the evidence showing how I incited the public.
Asked why he could not step down under article 90 of the Law Governing the Parliament, which says that anybody accused of committing a criminal offence can cease his parliamentary duties until proven innocent, the Speaker said there were legal procedures through which the article is applied.
Reads part of the Article: The Chamber of Deputies may also upon the request of the committee in charge of conduct of deputies and assessment of the Chamber of Deputies activities provided for in articles 55 and 56 of this organic law, and approved by three thirds (3/4) of its members to suspend any deputy who is suspected or prosecuted of any crime until a competent court renders a final judgment. In that period of suspension, shall only receive
basic salary.
Sources say the Speaker had influenced the committee led by Gideon Kayinamura not to evoke article, but both men have denied it.
Calls for the Speakers resignation have been on the increase since his appearance before a Gacaca court on June 11, 2005, during which he defended himself against the allegations. He is yet to officially appear before any court to answer the charges.
Consequently, the allegations split the House with and at one time a team of MPs plotted his downfall before the Speaker later consolidated his grip on the seat, which makes him the third most important leader in the countrys hierarchy.
Several other MPs and senior government officials are alleged to have participated in the genocide. But the government and the ruling RPF have maintained that anybody is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Meanwhile Mukezamfura defended State Minister for Social Welfare Christine Nyatanyi over reports that the latter told lies to a
parliamentary ad hoc commission of Inquiry into the Fund for the Assistance of Genocide Survivors (FARG).
In its report, the Omar Hamidou Commission said that Nyatanyi told it lies twelve times. There was no action taken against the minister, neither did the House apologize to Nyatanyi to clear her name.
Mukezamfura said the minister told no lies, saying that what she said was the policy, and that the commission just found out a different situation on the ground because of the reforms in the local governments.
I did not find anywhere where the commission said that the minister had told lies. What happened was that the minister said what was yet to be implemented on the ground but which was the governments policy, he said.
Meanwhile Biruta defended himself against allegations that his wife, Shantal, had studied on FARG money. He said the reports were unsubstantiated and based on fabricated rumours.
I really dont know where this rumor came from; I
first heard about it in the media but when I tried to make a follow-up, I found out that it was simply a rumour.
I even went to ULK (Kigali Independent University) and we carried out thorough cross-check to try to find out whether there is somebody who shared names with her (Shantal) and never came across one. he said. Shantal studied at ULK.
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