Democratic Green Party of Rwanda

{{Infobox political party

|name = Democratic Green Party of Rwanda

|lang1 = French

|name_lang1 = Parti vert démocratique du Rwanda

|lang2 = Kinyarwanda

|name_lang2 = Ishyaka Riharanira Demokarasi no Kurengera Ibidukikije

|logo = Logo of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda.png

|colorcode = {{party color|Democratic Green Party of Rwanda}}

|leader =

|chairperson =

|membership = 500,000 (claimed){{cite web|url=http://www.africanews.com/2017/03/20/rwanda-s-only-registered-opposition-party-picks-candidate-to-face-kagame/|title=Rwanda's only registered opposition party picks candidate to face Kagame|publisher=Africa News}}

|president = Frank Habineza

|spokesperson =

|foundation = {{Start date|2009|08|14|df=y}}

|ideology = Green politics
Green liberalism
Liberal democracy

| position = Centre to centre-left

|headquarters =

|regional = Federation of Green Parties of Africa

|international = Global Greens

|website = {{url|https://www.rwandagreendemocrats.org/}}

|country = Rwanda

|seats1_title = Chamber of Deputies

|seats1 = {{Composition bar|2|80|{{party color|Democratic Green Party of Rwanda}}}}

}}

The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR; {{langx|fr|Parti vert démocratique du Rwanda}}, PVDR; {{langx|rw|Ishyaka Riharanira Demokarasi no Kurengera Ibidukikije}}, IRDKI) is a green political party in Rwanda, established in 2009. The party was registered in August 2013, but too late to contest the 2013 parliamentary elections. Its platform emphasizes unity, non-violence, social justice, participatory democracy, and calls for subsidized prices for agricultural produce. It believes that the unalienable rights of the people include "the right to life, liberty, peaceful assembly, expression, worship and the pursuit of happiness", and that these rights are granted by God.{{cite web |title=National Political Platform |url=http://www.rwandagreendemocrats.org/news/national-political-platform |website=Democratic Green Party of Rwanda |access-date=23 June 2018}}

History

The party was established on 14 August 2009, and aimed to contest the 2010 presidential elections. However, it was prevented from registering.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1986699,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100509201508/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1986699,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 9, 2010|title=Rwanda: Anti-Genocide Law Clashes with Free Speech|last=Wadhams|first=Nick|date=2010-05-05 |magazine=Time |access-date=5 May 2010}} The party's vice-president, André Kagwa Rwisereka, was found beheaded during the election campaign.[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/18/attacks-rwandan-opposition-un-warning "Deadly attacks on Rwandan opposition spark warning by UN"], The Guardian, July 18, 2010[https://web.archive.org/web/20100720214306/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hGiGfLpYfZ0lhZKyRpTNjewyUe3gD9GKCC4G0 "Violence rises in Rwanda as election nears"], Associated Press, June 28, 2010 Green Party leaders in the US called on the Obama Administration to support an investigation into his murder and the allegations that it was politically motivated. President Paul Kagame and his ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RFP) has close ties to the US.{{cite web |title=US Green Party condemns assassination of Rwandan Green Party leader |url=http://www.greenpartywatch.org/tag/rwanda/ |website=Green Party Watch |access-date=23 June 2018}}{{Better source needed|reason=Source needed for close ties being a factor other than the Green Party themselves|date=October 2023}}

The party was finally registered in August 2013, but too late to contest the 2013 parliamentary elections.Tom Lansford (2015) Political Handbook of the World 2015, CQ Press

On 17 December 2016, Frank Habineza was nominated as the party leader and flag bearer for the 2017 presidential elections. By doing this the party abandoned its earlier threat to boycott the election after its demands for electoral reforms were snubbed by the government.{{cite web |title=News about Democratic Green Party of Rwanda |url=https://www.globalgreens.org/parties/democratic-green-party-rwanda |website=The Global Greens |access-date=23 June 2018 |archive-date=23 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623112840/https://www.globalgreens.org/parties/democratic-green-party-rwanda |url-status=dead }} Habineza went on to finish third of the three candidates with just 0.5% of the vote. However, in the parliamentary elections the following year the party entered parliament after winning two seats.

Election results

= Presidential elections =

class=wikitable style=text-align:center !Election !Party candidate !Votes !% !Result
2017 \| rowspan="2" \|Frank Habineza \| 32,701 \| 0.48% \| Lost {{N}}
2024 \| 44,479 \| 0.50% \| Lost {{N}}

class=wikitable style=text-align:center

!Election

!Party candidate

!Votes

!Result

2017

| rowspan="2" |Frank Habineza

| 32,701

| 0.48%

| Lost {{N}}

2024

| 44,479

| 0.50%

| Lost {{N}}

= Chamber of Deputies elections =

class=wikitable style=text-align:center ! Election ! Party leader ! Votes ! % ! Seats ! +/– ! Government
2018 \| rowspan="2" \|Frank Habineza \| 302,778 \| 4.55% \| {{Composition bar\|2\|80\|{{party color\|Democratic Green Party of Rwanda}}}} \| New \| {{no2\|Opposition}}
2024 \| 405,893 \| 4.56% \| {{Composition bar\|2\|80\|{{party color\|Democratic Green Party of Rwanda}}}} \| {{steady}} 0 \| {{no2\|Opposition}}

class=wikitable style=text-align:center

! Election

! Party leader

! Votes

! %

! Seats

! +/–

! Government

2018

| rowspan="2" |Frank Habineza

| 302,778

| 4.55%