Senators' Election in Rwanda, located in East Africa

Umuhuza mugisha, Jadetimes Staff

Mugisha is a Jadetime news reporter covering Africa region

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Image source : (kalisa)

Senators' Election in Rwanda

The election of Senators in Rwanda is a vital process that upholds the principles of democratic governance and represents a unique blend of electoral processes tailored to reflect the country's commitment to inclusive representation and balanced governance. As one of the two chambers of Rwanda's Parliament, the Senate plays a crucial role in overseeing the legislative process, approving national policies, and safeguarding constitutional values.

Structure of the Senate in Rwanda

The Rwandan Senate is composed of 26 members who serve a five-year term, with the possibility of being re-elected. This body functions as a legislative chamber responsible for reviewing and approving legislation, representing diverse interests, and protecting minority groups' rights. The composition of the Senate reflects Rwanda's dedication to inclusivity and representation, as Senators are selected through various electoral processes, including elections and appointments.

Election Process of Senators

The process of electing Senators in Rwanda is a carefully structured procedure that ensures diverse representation from various sectors of society. Senators are selected through a combination of elections, appointments by the President of the Republic, and selections by specific institutions.

1. Indirect Elections by Local Government and Political Organizations: The majority of the Senators, specifically 12, are elected indirectly by members of district councils from across the country. These local officials represent various political organizations and ensure that regional interests are considered at the national level. This indirect election process helps strengthen the relationship between local governance structures and national legislative bodies.

2. Appointment by the President of the Republic: The President of Rwanda appoints eight Senators. These appointments often include prominent figures with vast experience and knowledge in different areas, such as law, economics, or education. The President's role in appointing Senators helps ensure that the Senate benefits from the expertise of individuals who may not necessarily come through the electoral process but are crucial to national governance.

3. Election by Higher Learning Institutions: two Senators are elected by institutions of higher learning, both public and private. This unique feature ensures that the educational sector, which is key to Rwanda’s development, has direct representation in the Senate. This provision acknowledges the importance of academia in policy-making and development planning.

4. Representation Of political forum : four Senators designated by the National Consultative Forum of Political Organisations;. This is a critical feature of Rwanda’s commitment to inclusive governance, ensuring that all societal segments have a platform in the country's legislative body.

Role of Senators in Rwanda

Once elected or appointed, Senators play an essential role in reviewing legislation proposed by the lower house (the Chamber of Deputies), providing a check on the legislative process. The Senate is responsible for ensuring that laws are in line with the Constitution, national policies, and the overall interest of Rwandans.

The Senate also has unique responsibilities, such as supervising government activities related to constitutional amendments and overseeing efforts to protect the rights of various communities. In addition, it plays a key role in vetting senior government appointments, including judicial and diplomatic positions.

The Importance of Inclusivity in the Senate

The Senate's composition reflects Rwanda’s emphasis on inclusivity and representation of all sectors of society. The mix of appointed and elected Senators ensures a balance of expertise, experience, and political representation. This diverse selection process promotes national unity and helps address the historical grievances that have shaped the country's governance structure.

For instance, by reserving seats for historically marginalized groups, Rwanda’s Senate fosters a sense of inclusion for communities that have been left out in the past. Similarly, the representation of higher education institutions ensures that intellectual and academic inputs are brought to the legislative process, contributing to evidence-based law-making.

Challenges in the Senatorial Election Process

Despite the strengths of Rwanda’s Senate election process, certain challenges exist. One such challenge is maintaining a balance between appointed and elected Senators to ensure that the Senate remains representative of both the people's will and the country’s strategic needs. There is also the ongoing challenge of ensuring that Senators adequately reflect the diverse views and aspirations of the regions and sectors they represent.

The election of Senators in Rwanda is a crucial element of the country's legislative process. It exemplifies Rwanda’s commitment to inclusive, balanced governance through a mix of elections and appointments that ensure diverse representation. By blending indirect elections, presidential appointments, and representation from academia and marginalized groups, the Senate of Rwanda is positioned to play a key role in shaping the country's legislative agenda while upholding democratic principles. As Rwanda continues to develop, the Senate remains a central institution in fostering national unity, protecting minority rights, and ensuring that laws reflect the diverse needs of its citizens.

Meeting with BRICS security officials: A strong step in tackling global threats

Chethana Janith, Jadetimes Staff

C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter covering science and geopolitics.

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Vladimir Putin met with BRICS high-ranking officials responsible for security matters at the Konstantinovsky Palace in St Petersburg. This is the 14th such forum held within the framework of BRICS.

Prior to the meeting with BRICS national security advisors. Image Source : (kremlin.ru/Rossiya Segodnya)

The meeting in St Petersburg and the growing role of BRICS in international affairs.

The latest meeting of representatives of the BRICS and BRICS+ countries on security matters was held in St Petersburg on September 10-12 this year. The first part of the meeting was attended by representatives of China, India, Brazil, Iran, Egypt, UAE, Ethiopia and South Africa. The second part was held in an expanded format, which was attended by Serbia, Belarus, Turkey, Iran, Mauritania, Laos, Vietnam, Venezuela, Bahrain, South Africa, Brazil, Nicaragua, UAE, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Cuba, Egypt and India. In total, representatives of 21 countries were present in the plenary hall.

The BRICS interstate association, which was launched in 2006 at the St Petersburg Economic Forum on the initiative of the leaders of Russia, India and China, is increasing its authority from year to year and is gaining global importance today. BRICS is a qualitatively new organisation that acts as a flagship for the formation of a multipolar world where relations are based on the principles of non-interference, equality and mutual benefit.

Today, BRICS accounts for 26.7% of the world’s land surface (43,556,873km2) and 43.5% of the world’s population (3.53 billion people); 43% of world oil production; 85% of world reserves of rare earth minerals; 28.1% of world GDP. The BRICS countries are characterised by rapidly developing economies. At the same time, they include three large (Russia, China, India) world nuclear powers. Accordingly, the geography and potential of BRICS countries indicate their key participation in the formation of regional and global security architectures.

What is remarkable about the St Petersburg meeting of BRICS countries on security matters is that Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the forum participants at the Konstantinovsky Palace and held separate talks with representatives of China, India and Iran.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin noted in his address to forum participants, more than 30 (or rather 34, to be precise) states have already expressed their desire to join the work of BRICS and develop cooperation in various formats. This trend, of course, confirms the indisputable fact of the viability of BRICS as a new type of international organisation, testifies to the growing interest in it and requires improving the quality of its activities.

Agenda and initiatives of the St Petersburg forum

Security issues remain key in the global system and in the context of acute military and political crises in Europe and the Middle East at the present stage, as well as smouldering hotbeds of conflict in the heart of Asia and other parts of the world. A systematic approach to ensuring security and peace at the national, regional and global levels is gaining priority.

The issues of combating terrorism, separatism, drug trafficking, corruption, cybercrime and other threats, as well as the formation of a sustainable concept of mutually beneficial cooperation between BRICS countries of common interest, became the subject of discussion in this sphere.

At a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, President Vladimir Putin stressed that Moscow and Beijing are defending the principles of a just world, and on the path to achieve this justice, the world community must defend the strengthening, first of all, of security.

The Russian leader drew the attention of the high representatives on security issues of the BRICS countries to the collective results of joint work (including the creation of a special electronic register for the exchange of information on computer attacks and incidents), the expediency of forming a council to combat the financing of terrorism and money laundering.

The forum participants came up with a number of important new initiatives of organisational and substantive natures, designed to enhance the mutually beneficial partnership of BRICS countries in the field of strengthening security and respect for mutual interests. Thus, as part of the anti-corruption effort, the Russian side proposed common approaches of BRICS countries to combating bribery and recovering assets and income derived from illegal criminal activities, which was approved by partners.

Among the noteworthy initiatives of the forum participants is the proposal of Iran (representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Khamenei and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Akbar Ahmadian) on the expediency of creating a special collective institute on security issues within the framework of BRICS, particularly the BRICS Security Commission.

Such a structure is obviously needed by such a serious organisation in order to develop common principles and concepts of cooperation in the field of global and regional security at the external level, as well as in the context of an internal mechanism to eliminate tensions between BRICS member states (for example, in relations between China and India, Iran and Saudi Arabia, etc.).

At the meeting in St Petersburg, BRICS countries discussed forms of interaction in the face of geopolitical challenges that could escalate into armed conflicts. The representative of India, National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of India Ajit Doval, in his speech cited the example of the popular expression in his country, ‘the whole world is one big family’, which for BRICS countries means not idealising the situation, but striving to move in the paradigm of common efforts in the field of security and overcoming modern challenges in a timely manner.

In this context, Serbia’s interest in BRICS is indicative. Thus, the representative of Belgrade, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, at the meeting in St Petersburg, stated that EU pressure on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija could force Serbia to join BRICS. “For Serbia, BRICS is a chance and a real alternative to the EU, which does not require anything in return, but can offer more”, A. Vulin stressed.

In addressing pressing issues, the high representatives of the St Petersburg meeting of BRICS countries also discussed the peaceful settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. Indian Representative A. Doval, at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, reported on the details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky.

During meetings with high representatives of BRICS countries on security issues, Vladimir Putin thanked all colleagues for their fruitful joint work and asked them to convey good wishes and an invitation to the leaders of their countries to the organisation’s high summit in Kazan on October 22-24.

During the meetings with representatives of China, India and Iran, the parties confirmed the high level of relations between our countries, discussed topical issues of cooperation and prospects for their growth. Naturally, a considerable part of the issues (especially in the field of security) remained behind ‘closed doors’ for objective reasons. However, the fact remains that the West will no longer be able to impose its dictate on the rest of the world because the agenda of active and equal cooperation between the countries of the Global South and the East is expanding.

BRICS security meeting develops the tradition of cooperation between the Global South and the East

The forum in St Petersburg has become the latest development in the tradition of BRICS summits to discuss issues of ensuring national, regional and international security, as well as areas of interaction between the participating countries of this organisation. Most of the meeting was held behind closed doors. The official materials note that the following issues were discussed: the parameters of the future world order; overcoming the order imposed by the West based on the rules of dictate; the development of multipolarity; coordination of actions in the conditions of confrontation and unpredictability in world affairs.

As the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu, noted, such meetings in an expanded format are becoming a good tradition for interaction between the Global South and the East.

Beirut Explosion Aftermath Analysis

Thiloththama Jayasinghe, Jadetimes Staff

T. Jayasinghe is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Political News

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Image Source : Reuters

Describing in the south of Beirut is a very volatile situation, because everything seems out of control. Explosions at funerals in Dahiyeh, Hezbollah's heartland, show just how unstable it is, especially between the parties of Hezbollah and Israel.

The fact that the attacks were coordinated, employing pagers distributed by Hezbollah to avoid smartphone tracking, speaks to the deeper extent of the communication network that might have been compromised. Hundreds of people have been injured, dozens killed-many of them children. The emotional toll is palpable, as evidenced by mourners speaking defiantly despite the horror they have experienced.

First on the back foot after a year of military involvement, this crippling infrastructure blow and all its ramifications for retaliation and escalation hit Hezbollah. Israel's strategic military moves, such as the relocation of troops from Gaza to the north, signal a wider conflict in the making. An unwanted war, certainly, by many Lebanese burdened by the country's economic crisis, but with no reason to believe current conditions might restrain any of the parties involved.

Now, all eyes will be on the leadership of Hezbollah for their next move. The forthcoming public response by Hassan Nasrallah will be the critical moment that may determine whether violence spirals further into all-out war or just stays at a series of retaliatory strikes.

It's a really gripping, uncertain situation, and each new development can shift the balance.