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CONFIDENTIAL
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INFO LOG-00 CIAE-00 C-01
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16EB14 051817Z /38
O 051812Z JAN 94
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5438
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PRIORITY
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 01 OF 02 KIGALI 00045
YAOUNDE FOR DATT
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PGOV, RW
SUBJECT: TRANSITION INSTITUTIONS: ONLY PRESIDENT
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KIGALI 00045 01 OF 02 051815Z
TAKES OATH OF OFFICE
REF: KIGALI 0036
1. (C) SUMMARY. PRESIDENT HABYARIMANA TOOK THE
OATH OF OFFICE UNDER THE ARUSHA PEACE ACCORD MORNING
OF JANUARY 5. NEITHER THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY NOR THE
GOVERNMENT HAVE YET BEEN SWORN IN. THE CONTINUING
DISPUTE OVER LIBERAL PARTY DEPUTIES PROMPTED THE
PRESIDENT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT AND THE
DEPUTIES OF SEVERAL PARTIES, INCLUDING THE RPF, TO
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: JOHN L MILLS
DATE/CASE ID: 01 NOV 2007 200103014
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
BOYCOTT THE CEREMONY. THE PRESIDENT HAS AGAIN
CLAIMED THE HIGH GROUND, SAYING HE IS READY TO
ADMINISTER THE OATH OF OFFICE WHEN THE DEPUTIES
PRESENT THEMSELVES. END SUMMARY.
2. (U) THE PRESIDENT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT
ADMINISTERED THE OATH OF OFFICE PRESCRIBED IN THE
ARUSHA PEACE ACCORD TO PRESIDENT JUVENAL HABYARIMANA
MORNING OF JANUARY 5. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS
OF THE ACCORD, HE IS TO REMAIN PRESIDENT DURING THE
22-MONTH TRANSITION PERIOD. IN ATTENDANCE WERE THE
MEMBERS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT, THE GOVERNMENT
AND THE CND (THE LEGISLATURE), THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS
AS WELL AS THE CURRENT PRIME MINISTER, THE PRIME
MINISTER DESIGNATE, AND THE SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF
THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL. THE CEREMONY WAS OVER IN
FIVE MINUTES. THE PRESIDENT THEN INVITED ALL PRESENT
TO RETURN AT 3 PM FOR THE SWEARING IN OF THE NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY DEPUTIES AS AGREED WITH THE PRIME MINISTER
THE EVENING BEFORE.
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KIGALI 00045 01 OF 02 0518152
3. (U) ON THE MIDDAY NEWS, A COMMUNIQUE ANNOUNCED
THAT THE MDR (READ MDR/TWAGIRAMUNGU), PSD, PDC AND PL
(READ PL/LANDO) WOULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE SWEARING
IN CEREMONY FOR THE DEPUTIES IF THE PRESIDENT
CONTINUED HIS MANEUVERS AIMED AT DELAYING THE
INSTALLATION OF THE BROAD BASED GOVERNMENT. THE
COMMUNIQUE NOTED THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD UNILATERALLY
DECIDED NOT TO FOLLOW THE PROGRAM OUTLINED BY THE
PRIME MINISTER (REFTEL), THAT THE PRESIDENT'S
PROTOCOL RATHER THAN THE FOREIGN MINISTRY PROTOCOL
HAD DIRECTED THE MORNING CEREMONY, AND THAT THE
PRESIDENTIAL GUARD HAD TAKEN AWAY ENTRY TICKETS FROM
SOME DEPUTIES-ELECT.
4. (U) AT 4 PM, THE PRESIDENT ENTERED THE ASSEMBLY
HALL AND ANNOUNCED THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE SESSION.
HE NOTED THE ABSENCE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT, REQUIRED BY THE PEACE ACCORD TO
OBSERVE THE SWEARING-IN OF THE DEPUTIES, AND THE
ABSENSE OF THE DEPUTIES OF THE RPF AND THE PSD. HE
SAID HE WAS READY TO ADMINISTER THE OATH AS SOON AS
THOSE CONCERNED ARE READY TO PRESENT THEMSELVES. HE
APPEALED TO THE ABSENT POLITICAL PARTIES TO MAKE
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EVERY EFFORT, AND TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO
HELP, SO THAT THE ASSMBLY AND THE GOVERNMENT CAN BE
PUT IN PLACE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NEITHER THE
CURRENT NOR THE FUTURE PRIME MINISTER WERE PRESENT.
5. (C) PRESIDENTIAL COUNSELLOR CHASTIZED THE
CURRENT PRIME MINISTER FOR REVISING THE SCHEDULE FOR
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KIGALI 00045 01 OF 02 051815Z
THE CEREMONIES (REFTEL) WITHOUT CONSULTING THE
PRESIDENT AFTER SHE AND HE HAD AGREED ON THE
PROGRAM. HE TOLD CHARGE THE PRESIDENT FIRST HEARD
HER SCHEDULE ON THE RADIO LATE LAST NIGHT.
6. (C) PRESIDENTIAL CABINET DIRECTOR ENOCH RUHIGIRA
SUGGESTED TO CHARGE AFTER THE ABORTED AFTERNOON
CEREMONY THAT THE ONLY SOLUTION WOULD BE FOR THE PL
LEADERS TO AGREE TO DISTRIBUTE THEIR ASSEMBLY SEATS
BETWEEN THE TWO FACTIONS. HE NOTED THAT IF ALL 11
WERE TO COME FROM ONE FACTION OR THE OTHER, THERE
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ACTION AF-01
KIGALI 00045 02 OF 02 051817Z
INFO LOG-00 CIAE-00 C-01
HA-09
H-01
TEDE-00
NSAE-00 NSCE-00 01C-02
P-01
SNP-00
SP-00
RPE-01
/038W
OASY-00 DODE-00
INR-00
10-16
OMB-01 PA-01
SS-00
TRSE-00
DOEE-00 EUR-01
L-01
ADS-00
PM-01
PRS-01
T-00
USIE-00
16EB25 051817Z /38
0 051812Z JAN 94
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5439
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PRIORITY
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 02 OF 02 KIGALI 00045
YAOUNDE FOR DATT
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PGOV, RW
SUBJECT: TRANSITION INSTITUTIONS: ONLY PRESIDENT
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WOULD ALWAYS BE SOME PARTIES THAT WOULD BOYCOTT. HE
CLAIMED MUGENZI HAD JUST TOLD HIM HE WOULD BE WILLING
TO ACCEPT THIS APPROACH. NOTING THAT LANDO HAD AT
ONE POINT BEEN WILLING TO DISCUSS SUCH AN OPTION,
CHARGE ENCOURAGED HIM TO EXPLORE THIS OR ANY OPTION
THAT MIGHT RESOLVE THE IMPASSE SOON. BOTH AGREED
THAT ANY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO WOULD NEED
ENDORSEMENT FROM OTHER PARTIES, IN PARTICULAR, THE
RPF AND THE MRND.
7. (C) RPF PRESIDENT KANYARENGWE RETURNED TO
MULINDI, THE RPF HEADQUARTERS IN NORTHERN RWANDA,
AFTERNOON OF 1/4. WHEN UNAMIR COMMANDER GENERAL
DALLAIRE WENT TO COLLECT HIM MORNING OF 1/5, HE CHOSE
TO STAY IN MULINDI UNTIL HE HAD EVIDENCE THAT HIS
PRESENCE WOULD BE NEEDED IN KIGALI. THE RPF HAD
ALREADY LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THEY WOULD NOT
PARTICIPATE IN A SWEARING-IN CEREMONY WITH THE
PL/MUGENZI DEPUTIES. SOME RPF SOLDIERS WERE VISIBLE
IN THE HALL DURING THE PRESIDENT'S SWEARING IN, AND A
FEW OTHER RPF OFFICIALS WERE IN THE AUDIENCE, BUT
NONE OF THE SENIOR LEADERS WERE PRESENT.
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8. (C) COMMENT. DEPRESSION, AND SOME FEAR,
PREVAILS IN KIGALI. THE PRESIDENT HAS DEFIED THE
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT BY CHOSING HIS LIST OF DEPUTIES
OVER THEIRS. BUT HE HAS THROWN THE BALL IS BACK IN
THE COURT OF THE PRESIDENT'S OPPONENTS. THE RPF'S
RIGID POSITION ON THE PL DEPUTIES, THAT ONLY THOSE
ELECTED IN SEPTEMBER CAN SIT IN THE ASSEMBLY, MAY
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PREVENT LANDO FROM CUTTING A DEAL WITH MUGENZI EVEN
IF MUGENZI IS WILLING. THE OPTION OF HAVING PL
DEPUTIES TAKE THE OATH LATER IS ALSO APPARENTLY
UNACCEPTABLE TO THE RPF.
9. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED. AS LONG AS THE STALEMATE
PERSISTS, RWANDA IS IN THE UNTENABLE POSITION OF
HAVING A PRESIDENT SWORN IN UNDER THE THE ARUSHA
ACCORD WHOSE POWERS ARE CONSIDERABLY REDUCED AND A
LAME-DUCK GOVERNMENT AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WHOSE
DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY IS PROSCRIBED BY A JUDICIAL
RULING. AS THE PRESIDENT TOLD THE DIPLOMATS EARLIER
IN THE WEEK, "MY TAKING THE OATH OF OFFICE WILL
RESOLVE NOTHING." BUT IT DOES KEEP HIM LEGAL: HIS
CURRENT FIVE-YEAR TERM EXPIRES JANUARY 8.
LEADER
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