Rwanda's bid to join Commonwealth
Saturday, 1 August 2009
Aimable Twahirwa
Rwanda's bidding to join the Commonwealth of Nations in November this year has ignited national enthusiasm of the small central African nation to target at new economic benefits and opportunities of membership, while some tough members of the bloc stand for a version of "sensitive criteria" to be a member of the Anglophone bloc.
Since Rwanda applied to join the Commonwealth in 2003, the final approval of the bid is still pending, although Rwandan officials and even different actors from the civil society and business operators are showing their enthusiasm to be part of this bloc.
"Really for the first time, the Commonwealth received a bid from Rwanda that could be admitted shortly after assessing all the criteria for joining," Nicholas Canon, British ambassador to Rwanda, told Xinhua.
According to officials within the Commonwealth, the main issues to be considered in accepting new members include criteria, such as the current situation of political and business-oriented to the creation of large markets for their goods and services, private sector-led growth, development of human resources, improved infrastructure and political accountability.
"In joining the Commonwealth, Rwanda wants to highlight its current national economic progress, and the main purpose of this move is to help people benefit from various advantages from this bloc, through promoting their social welfare," said Protais Musoni, Rwanda's minister of cabinet affairs.
"Rwanda did not set out to simply join the Commonwealth. The move comes after taking into consideration the advantages that the country should benefit on the mutual basis with other members of the bloc," Musoni said in an interview with Xinhua.
Since 2003, Rwanda, along with six other countries, has mooted plans to join the 53-member group, but its admission can only be determined at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting, to be held in November this year in Trinidad and Tobago.
However, Tharcisse Karugarama, Rwandan minister of justice, told Xinhua early this week that the short delay for Rwanda to join the bloc was a normal process. "Commonwealth members are aware and know what really progress made by Rwanda in various levels, such as human rights and judicial reforms," he said.
Speaking in the same vein, Richard Kabonero, Ugandan ambassador to Rwanda, said that his country was supporting the bidding of Rwanda to join the bloc not because they have been seeking to win a concession from Rwanda by playing an influential role in the east African region.
"The Ugandan government is taking delight in noting the achievements made by Rwanda in socioeconomic development and regional integration," said Kabonero.
Anastase Shyaka, director of the Center for Conflict Management at the National University of Rwanda, said the perspectives for Rwanda to join the Commonwealth was on its right track.
"I had at several occasions to meet and discuss with different actors including researchers from Commonwealth members. They were all optimistic about the approval of Rwanda's bid to the bloc, looking at the progress achieved by the country in various domains, " he said.
"There are several international organizations involved in the various programs of the country's development projects. If something wrong was happening to interfere with Rwanda's bid, those international agencies would know about it," he added.
Nevertheless, some critics disapprove of the Rwanda's move to bid for Commonwealth membership, saying that applying for membership of many organizations would interfere with the main target of country's development, but James Musoni, Rwanda's minister of finance, dismisses these allegations.
"In a bidding to the Commonwealth, Rwanda already showed its will and capacity to challenge regional integration and promote business investments within the East African region. We are able to expand this through other Commonwealth members," he said.
The Rwandan government is currently working with the Private Sector Federation to identify the main sectors of investments which will mostly benefit financial supports in terms of long-term loans, to promote business exports once the bid to join the Commonwealth is approved.
"We need to assess how to ensure exports business promotion, and time has come for us to be able to compete on the international business market," Prisca Mujawayezu, deputy secretary general of the Rwanda Private Sector Federation.
"There is a need for businessmen to play a key role in transforming our country's economy into a force that would be visible in the affairs of the Commonwealth market," she said.
According to statistics from the Commonwealth, members handle trade worth 2.8 trillion U.S. dollars annually and with foreign direct investment outflows of 100 billion dollars, which account for more than 20 percent of international trade and investment. --Xinhua
Rwanda's bidding to join the Commonwealth of Nations in November this year has ignited national enthusiasm of the small central African nation to target at new economic benefits and opportunities of membership, while some tough members of the bloc stand for a version of "sensitive criteria" to be a member of the Anglophone bloc.
Since Rwanda applied to join the Commonwealth in 2003, the final approval of the bid is still pending, although Rwandan officials and even different actors from the civil society and business operators are showing their enthusiasm to be part of this bloc.
"Really for the first time, the Commonwealth received a bid from Rwanda that could be admitted shortly after assessing all the criteria for joining," Nicholas Canon, British ambassador to Rwanda, told Xinhua.
According to officials within the Commonwealth, the main issues to be considered in accepting new members include criteria, such as the current situation of political and business-oriented to the creation of large markets for their goods and services, private sector-led growth, development of human resources, improved infrastructure and political accountability.
"In joining the Commonwealth, Rwanda wants to highlight its current national economic progress, and the main purpose of this move is to help people benefit from various advantages from this bloc, through promoting their social welfare," said Protais Musoni, Rwanda's minister of cabinet affairs.
"Rwanda did not set out to simply join the Commonwealth. The move comes after taking into consideration the advantages that the country should benefit on the mutual basis with other members of the bloc," Musoni said in an interview with Xinhua.
Since 2003, Rwanda, along with six other countries, has mooted plans to join the 53-member group, but its admission can only be determined at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting, to be held in November this year in Trinidad and Tobago.
However, Tharcisse Karugarama, Rwandan minister of justice, told Xinhua early this week that the short delay for Rwanda to join the bloc was a normal process. "Commonwealth members are aware and know what really progress made by Rwanda in various levels, such as human rights and judicial reforms," he said.
Speaking in the same vein, Richard Kabonero, Ugandan ambassador to Rwanda, said that his country was supporting the bidding of Rwanda to join the bloc not because they have been seeking to win a concession from Rwanda by playing an influential role in the east African region.
"The Ugandan government is taking delight in noting the achievements made by Rwanda in socioeconomic development and regional integration," said Kabonero.
Anastase Shyaka, director of the Center for Conflict Management at the National University of Rwanda, said the perspectives for Rwanda to join the Commonwealth was on its right track.
"I had at several occasions to meet and discuss with different actors including researchers from Commonwealth members. They were all optimistic about the approval of Rwanda's bid to the bloc, looking at the progress achieved by the country in various domains, " he said.
"There are several international organizations involved in the various programs of the country's development projects. If something wrong was happening to interfere with Rwanda's bid, those international agencies would know about it," he added.
Nevertheless, some critics disapprove of the Rwanda's move to bid for Commonwealth membership, saying that applying for membership of many organizations would interfere with the main target of country's development, but James Musoni, Rwanda's minister of finance, dismisses these allegations.
"In a bidding to the Commonwealth, Rwanda already showed its will and capacity to challenge regional integration and promote business investments within the East African region. We are able to expand this through other Commonwealth members," he said.
The Rwandan government is currently working with the Private Sector Federation to identify the main sectors of investments which will mostly benefit financial supports in terms of long-term loans, to promote business exports once the bid to join the Commonwealth is approved.
"We need to assess how to ensure exports business promotion, and time has come for us to be able to compete on the international business market," Prisca Mujawayezu, deputy secretary general of the Rwanda Private Sector Federation.
"There is a need for businessmen to play a key role in transforming our country's economy into a force that would be visible in the affairs of the Commonwealth market," she said.
According to statistics from the Commonwealth, members handle trade worth 2.8 trillion U.S. dollars annually and with foreign direct investment outflows of 100 billion dollars, which account for more than 20 percent of international trade and investment. --Xinhua