Lawyers have refused to take up a case filed by the opposition Green Party against Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame.
Mr Kagame wants to stand for an unconstitutional third term, however to prevent him and the supportive legislature from changing the national constitution, the Green Party took the case to court.
Months back, Kagame denied that he was hatching a plot to hold on to power saying it is left for Rwandans to decide.
“I have not asked anyone to change the constitution and I have not told anybody how or what to think about 2017,” Kagame said in April.
However, Green Party President Frank Habineza told Agence France-Presse, that “Five lawyers have refused to take the case. One said he was threatened, another said God was against it, others said they were afraid or did not want to go to court against millions of Rwandans,”
This development means that Rwandan lawmakers will debate on Tuesday possible changes to the constitution to allow strongman Paul Kagame a third term in power as president, parliament announced on Friday.
The consensus on the streets of Kigali is that it is an herculean task to take up the case against Kagame, a man accused of curtailing civil rights, funding rebels in neighboring countries and assassinating critics.
Residents of Burnudi, Rwanda neighbour’s is also battling their own president who wants to stand in elections to be contested later this month.