Democratisation Process
Senior 3 · History and Citizenship
Democratisation Process
Lesson 2 of 3
25 min
Read this article of the Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda:
Suffrage is universal and equal for all Rwandans. All Rwandans, both men and women, fulfilling the requirements provided for by law, have the right to vote and to be elected. Suffrage is direct or indirect and secret, unless this Constitution or any other law provides otherwise.
Source A. Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda of 2003, revised in 2015, Article 2 (English version).
Analysing the source. Three words carry the meaning: universal (all adult citizens, with no group left out), equal (each vote counts the same) and secret (no one can see or punish how you vote). Compare this with colonial Ruanda-Urundi, where most people had no vote, and with the identity cards that once divided citizens into categories (Unit 6). This lesson traces how Rwanda has built democratic institutions since 1994.
Definition
Constitution: the supreme law of a country, which sets out how it is governed and the rights and duties of citizens.
Referendum: a vote in which all voters decide a single question, such as adopting a constitution.
Decentralisation: transferring powers, resources and decisions from the central government to local governments closer to the people.
Proportional representation: an electoral system in which parties win seats in proportion to their share of the votes.
Home-grown solutions: institutions drawn from Rwandan culture to solve today's problems, such as Gacaca, Umuganda, Abunzi, Imihigo and Umushyikirano (Senior 1).
After the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda had to rebuild a state and a society. A Government of National Unity was formed in July 1994, based on the power-sharing principles of the Arusha Peace Agreement of 1993. The milestones below show how democratic institutions were rebuilt step by step.
Figure 1. Selected milestones, from the Constitution and the institutions named in the credits. Spacing is by event, not to scale.
| Institution or rule | What the Constitution of 2003, revised in 2015, says |
|---|---|
| Suffrage | Universal and equal; direct or indirect and secret (Article 2) |
| Women's representation | Women hold at least 30% of positions in decision-making organs (a fundamental principle) |
| Chamber of Deputies | 80 Deputies: 53 elected by direct universal suffrage by proportional representation, 24 women elected by specific electoral colleges, 2 elected by the National Youth Council and 1 by the National Council of Persons with Disabilities (Article 75) |
| Senate | 26 Senators, elected or appointed in several ways |
| President of the Republic | Elected for a five-year term; may be re-elected once (Article 101) |
| Power-sharing | The President and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies cannot come from the same political organisation; a party with a majority of seats cannot hold more than 50% of Cabinet posts |
| Dialogue between parties | The National Consultative Forum of Political Organisations, for political dialogue and consensus (Article 59) |
| Independent bodies | Among others, the National Electoral Commission, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Office of the Auditor General of State Finances and the Gender Monitoring Office |
Table 1. Democratic institutions and rules in Rwanda's Constitution.
Worked example: linking institutions to indicators
Question: Using Table 1, explain how Rwanda's Constitution supports two indicators of democratisation. (4 marks)
Indicator 1: free and fair elections. Article 2 guarantees universal, equal and secret suffrage, and an independent National Electoral Commission organises elections.
Indicator 2: inclusion and equality. At least 30% of positions in decision-making organs are reserved for women, and seats in the Chamber of Deputies are reserved for women, youth and persons with disabilities.
Each indicator is named, then backed with a specific article or rule.
Tip
Quote the Constitution precisely. In an exam, name the article or rule ("Article 2: universal, equal and secret suffrage") rather than writing "Rwanda is democratic". Evidence earns marks; opinions without evidence do not.
Warning
Stay factual and neutral. Describe institutions, rules and how citizens take part. Don't turn answers into support for or attacks on any party or leader; that is not what the examiner is asking.
Which of the ways of participating listed above have you, your family or your school taken part in? How could young people under 18, who cannot yet vote, make their voices heard in decisions that affect them?
Practice
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
