Rwanda will hold a referendum next week to decide whether the country’s constitution should be amended to allow Presient Paul Kagame run for a third consecutive term in 2017, and potentially remain in power for the next two decades, the government has said.
“The cabinet meeting approved the presidential order determining the date and purpose of the referendum,” setting December 17 for Rwandans abroad to vote, and December 18 for those in the country, an official statement read.
The United Stated and the European Union have warned that the move undermines democratic principles, views that have been criticised by Kagame as interference in Rwanda’s internal affairs.
The Rwandese senate last month passed a constitutional amendment that reduces the presidential term limits to five years from the initial seven years, and maintains the two term limit. It however made an exception for President Kagame, allowing him to run in 2017 for a third seven-year term, after which the new rules come into force.
After those seven years, he could then potentially run for another two terms of five years each, which would extend his rule to 2034.
Earlier this year, more than 60% of voters signed a petition calling for constitutional changes to be drafted that would allow Kagame to stand again.
The date was set after a cabinet meeting chaired by the president on Tuesday.
Kagame has ruled since his Tutsi rebel Rwanda Patriotic Front ended a genocide by extremists from the Hutu majority, in which at least 800,000 people were killed, most of whom were Tutsis.
