President Paul Kagame has reaffirmed that he will not seek to renew his job as President beyond 2017, unless he is convinced beyond reasonable doubt.
“I am convinced that come 2017, what should happen should happen.”
Kagame was on April 2, responding to ongoing debate on whether he should change the constitution and seek re-election for the country’s top job.
The head of state was meeting dozens of local and international journalists in a monthly press conference, which discusses several subjects and is broadcast live on national media.
The president denied rumours that the third term debate originated from his cabinet. “Actually journalists have been asking me the same question for a long time and they are not part of my cabinet.”
In February 2013 during a similar press conference, President Kagame was tasked to respond to the same question saying, “Look at me, I am not the person who needs the third term. I don’t need it. I don’t need your third term.”
” I want to do my business for which the Rwandans entrusted me to do and when am done I will be done…I can continue to serve my country in very different ways,” he said then .
According to the constitution, the President can only serve two seven year-terms and President Kagame is currently completing his second term.
Kagame said there are two schools of thought on the matter; “the first one argues that, come 2017, the constitutional presidential term limits shouldn’t be removed that the constitution should be respected as it is.”
The second school of thought argues that; “No. We think this constitution is made by people and that it can be changed by people so that we continue with the person we have in place.”
“I belong to the first one,”Kagame said.
President Paul Kagame Speaking to Journalists during a Press Conference
