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Electoral/Political Party Reform: Arusha Accord – 4 August 1993

Implementations

Electoral/Political Party Reform – 1993

Provisions related to electoral or political party reform were designed to ensure inclusive politics with a Political Code of Ethics binding on all parties. No developments occured this year.

Electoral/Political Party Reform – 1994

After the genocidal violence of 1994, Article 80 was interpreted as banning political parties based on ethnic identity. By banning parties formed based on ethnic identity, Rwanda enacted political reforms aimed at institutionalizing cross-cutting, multi-ethnic or secular political parties. This ban included the former President Habyarimana’s party, the National Revolutionary Movement for Development, and the extremist Hutu Coalition for the Defense of the Republic¹ These changes would become part of the 1995 constitution.

“Some 2,000 Former Soldiers Train for Rwanda’s New Military,” Agence France Presse, October 15, 1994

Electoral/Political Party Reform – 1995

The electoral reform provisions of the Arusha Accord became part of the new constitution signed on May 5, 1995. The new constitution consisted of: 1. Constitutional items singled out from the constitution of 10 June 1991; 2. The Arusha peace agreement, signed on 4 August 1993; 3. The RPF [Rwandan Patriotic Front] declaration of 17 July 1994 establishing national institutions; 4. The agreement signed on 24th November 1994 between political parties which were not implicated in the previous year’s genocide; In a 57 member national assembly, 55 members voted in favor of the new constitution and two abstained; The Arusha peace accord was part of the new constitution, but the new constitution also included RPF’s declaration of July 1994 and the protocol agreement of November 1994.