RPF marks 35th anniversary with call for accountability
Rwanda's ruling party Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) on Sunday marked its 35th anniversary with its chairperson, President Paul Kagame, emphasizing the importance of accountability and sacrifice to move the party forward and sustain the achievements made over the last few decades.
"From the beginning, we chose three guiding principles: to think big, to work together, and to hold ourselves accountable to each other and to others beyond Rwanda's borders," said Kagame while speaking at the party's 16th national congress at its headquarters, Intare Conference Arena, in Rusororo, on the outskirts of the Rwandan capital Kigali.
He said the country and party possess the same level of ambition, expectation, sense of responsibility, and burden as any other country, regardless of its size.
"Today, we are celebrating 35 years of the RPF's existence. Some may see this as just a few years, but for others like myself, we view it as many years. The birth of the RPF and the challenges it had to overcome make it seem like 100 years or more have passed," Kagame said.
He paid a glowing tribute to all the people who sacrificed for the party's existence and for what the party has achieved so far.
He also emphasized the importance of maintaining a sacrificial mindset within the RPF, as the party has ambitious goals and must address numerous challenges that are beyond its means.
The event, held under the theme "Reflecting on 35 Years and Beyond", saw party cadres elect a new National Executive Committee composed of the party chairman, vice chairman, secretary general, and commissioners to lead the party in the next five years.
Kagame was reelected as the Chairman of RPF Inkotanyi to lead the party for the next five years.
He defeated Abdul-Kareem Harerimana.
The RPF national congress attracted more than 2,000 party members and allies. Other invited guests are representatives of political organizations operating in Rwanda. Only RPF cadres participate in the elections.
On Saturday, the party held its international conference, which brought together party cadres, representatives of other political organizations in Rwanda, international delegates representing political parties from other countries, diplomats, and researchers, among others.
