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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

RWANDA: Legislators sworn in

KIGALI, 10 October 2003 (IRIN) - Legislators for Rwanda's two-chamber parliament were sworn in on Friday, making them the country’s first democratically elected Members of Parliament since independence from Belgium 40 years ago.

A four-party coalition, led by President Paul Kagame's ruling party, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), won 40 of the 53 elected seats in the 80-member Chamber of Deputies. The opposition Parti social democrate and the Parti liberal, each won seven and six seats respectively.

The upper house - the Senate - comprises 26 members who were elected through electoral colleges of local government officials and representatives of the national women's association. Kagame nominated on Wednesday four of the eight senators he is authorised to propose.

The legislators swore to respect the country's constitution, promote the unity of Rwandans and put their personal interests behind those of ordinary Rwandans.

The swearing-in marked an end to the nine-year transition period that began after rebels, then led by Kagame, ended the 1994 genocide.

A former Speaker of parliament, Vincent Biruta, from the minority Tutsi group, was elected president of the Senate. The post is the second-most powerful position in the country. The position of Speaker of the lower house went to Alfred Mukezanfura, whose party is in coalition with the RPF.

Kagame told the legislators to strive hard to fulfil the pledges they made to the electorate. "You must keep in touch with the people to understand well their problems and find their immediate solutions," he said.

During his seven-year term in office, he said, his priorities would be promoting good governance, revamping the economy, strengthening the judicial sector and improving the welfare of Rwandans. He urged the legislators to help him realise these objectives.

"We must work jointly to build a new Rwanda that is economically, politically and socially sound," he said.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Governance

[ENDS]

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