STRUCTURES AND MODES OF OPERATIONS

  

Today, the Forum consists of 9 member Political Organizations:

• Rwandese Patriotic Front – RPF INKOTANYI
• Liberal Party – PL
• Union Démocratique du Peuple Rwandais – U.D.P.R
• Ideal Democratic Party – P.D.I
• Social Democratic Party – P.S.D
• Ideal Democratic Party – P.D.I
• Parti du Progrès et de la Concorde – P.P.C
• Centrist Democratic Party – P.D.C
• Parti Socialiste Rwandais – P.S.R
• Parti de la Solidarité et du Progrès – P.S.P

The Forum is an institution of the Constitution and is governed by an organic law, Organic law N° 16/2003 of 27/6/2003, which confirms its administrative and political autonomy.

Organic law N° 16/2003, Article 50:

The consultative Forum of Political Organizations provided for under Article 56 of the Constitution is a body enjoying administrative and financial autonomy, with freedom of opinion and decision making in accordance with the law.

The head office of the Forum of Political Organizations is located in the capital city of Rwanda.

The Forum’s operations are governed by its Internal Rules and Regulations adopted on October 30, 2003. It has also a political Code of conduct for member Political Organizations and their members.

The founding principles underlying these two texts are mutual respect for the independence of each member Political Organization and its freedom of expression and political activities, as well as the promotion of the democratic values of national consensus.

Internal Rules and Regulations, Article 17:

Decisions of the General Assembly of the Forum are taken upon total agreement (consensus) of the political organizations attending the meeting, lack of which, the meeting is called for the second time over conflicting items, if again there is no consensus, these items are postponed at least for two other meetings before they are discussed again.

Membership of the Forum is not among the criteria for the registration and admission of Political Organizations, and participation in the Forum is without prejudice to their respective independence and their reciprocal relations.

The Forum provides space for expression and participation in the political management of the country to all the Political Organizations – including those that could not raise electoral votes to be represented in Parliament (+5% of the votes cast). This is the principle of the pursuit and promotion of national consensus which is equitable and inclusive, where all the Political Organizations constituting the Forum have equal voting powers.

Within the framework of exercising its constitutional autonomy, the Forum has a three-tier organic structure: the General Assembly, the Office of the Spokesperson and the Executive Secretariat.

General Assembly

The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Forum and is constituted of recognized Political Organizations. Each Political Organization provides four (4) representatives in the Assembly, two of whom should be women

Bureau of the Forum

The Bureau of the Forum is constituted of a Spokesperson and a Deputy Spokesperson. It has the responsibility of following up the implementation of the decisions of the General Assembly and of representing the Forum before the law.

Executive Secretariat

The Executive Secretariat is headed by the permanent Executive Secretary and is composed of different units and departments.

The Spokesperson, the Deputy Spokesperson and the permanent Executive Secretary are all elected. The three officials must come from different Political Organizations; they are elected on an individual basis for a term of three (3) years in the case of the Spokesperson and the Deputy Spokesperson, and five (5) years in the case of the Executive Secretary, renewable only once.