Why Rwanda’s opposition Green Party expelled two senior party members

By Jean d’Amour Mbonyinshuti  The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) on Monday announced it had expelled two of its party members after they sought to harbor treacherous plans to destroy the party from within. The party president MP Frank Habineza said in a statement that the two party members had intentions to form another political party and were mobilizing members to join them.  The dismissed party members include Jean de Diogratius Tuyishimire who was the information secretary of the party and Ferdinand Mutabazi who led the party in Southern Province. He said that such behavior were against the DGPR norms and a breach of Party laws and the National Law Regulating Conduct of Politicians and Political Organizations as amended to-date.  “They have been mobilizing several party leaders to join them in those acts of treachery. It was evident that they are not men of integrity and have no values of the party as they have been breaching Party laws and the National Law Regulating Conduct of Politicians and Political Organizations as amended to-date, decided to Expel them from the Party with immediate effect,” said a Dr. Frank Habineza the DGPR president.  Hon. Habineza said that the decision was taken after the party’s central executive committee sought advice from the ethics and disciplinary committee concerning acts of treachery and misconduct by the duo.  Hon. Habineza said that the duo had a bad record of indiscipline and lacked indiscipline. He said that Jean Deogratious Tuyishime was removed from the 2018 list of Green Party’s parliamentary candidates after the National Electoral Commission presented a court-case  which had been submitted by several concerned citizens concerning  refusal to pay debts, abuse of law and lack of integrity.    He submitted a letter to the Electoral Commission resigning his candidature, one day before elections.  As for Ferdinand Mutabazi, the party  officials said he exhibited misconduct and allegedly committed a crime when he early this year staged a self-kidnap after failing to pay debts to his brother-in-law and wanted to politicize his disappearance and  blame it to national security organs and therefore cause a political conflict between the party and state organs.  The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda also informed the public that the dismissed people hold no leadership position within party structures and should not angege anyone in any activities on behalf of the party.