United Democratic Forces of Rwanda
Encyclopedia
The United Democratic Forces of Rwanda (UDF) (French: Forces Democratiques Unifiées (FDU-INKINGI)) is a Rwanda
n political opposition party. Its principal goal is to install the rule of law
in Rwanda, underpinned by the respect of democratic values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and other international instruments relating to democracy
and good governance
.
The party was born in a 29 April 2006 statement by the joint program and the charter signed when three Rwandan opposition parties Democratic Alliance for Rwanda (ADR-ISANGANO), Forces for the Democratic Resistance (FRD) and Republican Rally for Democracy in Rwanda merged to create a larger political platform.
The current chairperson of the United Democratic Forces is Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza
whom the party elected as the presidential candidate. Having been formed in exile
, the party's leadership returned to Rwanda
in January 2010, applied to be registred under Rwandan law but UDF was yet to be recognized by the Rwandan Government and therefore could not file its presidential candidate for August 2010 elections
before the submission deadline.
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
n political opposition party. Its principal goal is to install the rule of law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
in Rwanda, underpinned by the respect of democratic values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
and other international instruments relating to democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and good governance
Good governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...
.
The party was born in a 29 April 2006 statement by the joint program and the charter signed when three Rwandan opposition parties Democratic Alliance for Rwanda (ADR-ISANGANO), Forces for the Democratic Resistance (FRD) and Republican Rally for Democracy in Rwanda merged to create a larger political platform.
The current chairperson of the United Democratic Forces is Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza
Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza
Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza is a the Chairperson of the Unified Democratic Forces ; a coalition of Rwandan opposition parties with a large base of active members in Rwanda, Europe, United States of America and in Canada. She was a party candidate for Rwanda's August 2010 elections, but was...
whom the party elected as the presidential candidate. Having been formed in exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
, the party's leadership returned to Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
in January 2010, applied to be registred under Rwandan law but UDF was yet to be recognized by the Rwandan Government and therefore could not file its presidential candidate for August 2010 elections
Rwandan presidential election, 2010
A presidential election was held in Rwanda on 2010, the second since the Rwandan civil war. The incumbent President Paul Kagame, of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, was re-elected for a second term.-Background:...
before the submission deadline.