RWANDA: Court confirms Kagame as acting president

Follow @{0}NAIROBI, 30 March 2000 (IRIN) - The Supreme Court ruled at the weekend that Vice-President Paul Kagame should assume the duties of President of Rwanda until a successor was found to former President Pasteur Bizimungu, who resigned last Thursday. The court issued a statement on Saturday stating that “the project of agreement among political forces signed on 24 November 1994, which creates the post of vice-presidency, prevails over the Arusha peace accords signed in 1993 when the two are in conflict,” Radio Rwanda reported. “The Protocol of Agreement says that the Vice-President assumes the duties of President when he is no longer able to carry out his duties as head of state,” the report added. The Arusha accords stated that it was the Speaker of Parliament who should take over in those circumstances. A press release from the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) said its political bureau would reconvene on 1 April to nominate its two presidential candidates to succeed Bizimungu. A joint session of parliament and the cabinet will then choose between the two.