New Rwandan PM named
2003-10-13 09:14
Kigali, Rwanda - Rwandan President Paul Kagame named a member of the country's Hutu majority to serve as his prime minister in the first elected government since the country was shattered by genocide nine years ago, an official said on Sunday.
Bernard Makuza, a political independent who had served as prime minister from 1999 up until parliament was dissolved in August ahead of national elections, was appointed by Kagame, a member of the Tutsi minority, on Saturday, said Solina Nyirahabimana, the minister in the president's office.
Makuza's appointment is expected to be approved in the coming weeks by the two houses of the tiny central African country's parliament, elected over three days of voting between Septmber 29th and October 2. Presidential elections were held in August.
A coalition led by Kagame's Rwandan Patriotic Front controls a majority in parliament. But under a constitution approved in May, the president and prime minister must be from different parties.
The measure was designed to ensure a single political party cannot use its power to manipulate the differences between Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda, where in 1994 an extremist Hutu government orchestrated the slaughter of more than 500 000 people, mostly Tutsis.
Following his appointment, Makuza said he and Kagame will name a Cabinet in the next 10 days and begin formulating a plan to encourage economic growth in Rwanda, where more than 60% of the country's 8.2 million people live on less than a US$1 a day.
- AP