Kagame’s Constitution Is Much Worse Than North Korea’s

By David Himbara

Kim Il Sung was the founding ruler of North Korea in 1948 until his death in 1994. He was in power for 46 years. In 1974, he unveiled the ”Ten Principles for the Establishment of the One-Ideology System” — North Korea’s equivalency to a national constitution.

North Korea’s constitution is extreme in terms of giving powers to the totalitarian ruler. But compared to Rwanda’s constitution, the North Korean document is a child’s play. Rwanda’s constitution gives Kagame immunity for committing serious crimes for which he won’t be prosecuted even when he is no longer the president of the republic.

So, what is my proof that Kagame’s constitution is worse than Korea’s?

The dynasty.

 

North Korea’s equivalence to a Constitution, namely, the ”Ten Principles for the Establishment of the One-Ideology System”, are as follows:

  1. ”We must give our all in the struggle to unify the entire society with the revolutionary ideology of the Great Leader Kim Il Sung.
  2. We must honor the Great Leader comrade Kim Il Sung with all our loyalty.
  3. We must make absolute the authority of the Great Leader comrade Kim Il Sung.
  4. We must make the Great Leader comrade Kim Il Sung? revolutionary ideology our faith and make his instructions our creed.
  5. We must adhere strictly to the principle of unconditional obedience in carrying out the Great Leader comrade Kim Il Sung’s instructions.
  6. We must strengthen the entire partys ideology and willpower and revolutionary unity, centering on the Great Leader comrade Kim Il Sung.
  7. We must learn from the Great Leader comrade Kim Il Sung and adopt the communist look, revolutionary work methods and people-oriented work style.
  8. We must value the political life we were given by the Great Leader comrade Kim Il Sung, and loyally repay his great political trust and thoughtfulness with heightened political awareness and skill.
  9. We must establish strong organizational regulations so that the entire party, nation and military move as one under the one and only leadership of the Great Leader comrade Kim Il Sung.
  10. We must pass down the great achievement of the revolution by the Great Leader comrade Kim Il Sung from generation to generation, inheriting and completing it to the end.”

Rwanda’s constitution gives Kagame powers over just about everything in Rwanda. But that is not its worst offense.

Look at Article 114, “Exemption from prosecution for a former president of the Republic”:

”A former President of the Republic cannot be prosecuted for treason or serious and deliberate violation of the Constitution when no legal proceedings in respect of that offense were brought against him or her while in office.”

Whereas the North Korean ten principles lump powers onto the ruler, the principles do not criminalize the leader. In Rwanda’s case, the constitution opens the doors for Kagame to commit atrocities — including treason. Kagame is free to engage in treachery, disloyalty, and betrayal against Rwanda and not face the law. The Rwandan constitution is, evidently, a license to Kagame to engage in criminality. The man is immunized while in office and when out of office.