Parliament refused controversial Reproductive Health Bill

The bill was referred back to the Rwandan Parliamentarians for the Population's Development (RPRPD), according to the Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee which analysed it, Mr. Musabyimana Samuel.  

“Parliament found that there was language in the Bill that was not clear”, said Mr. Musabyimana, adding the bill was pushed back last month. “Some aspects of the Bill seem to be infringing on some crucial rights of people – for example being forced to be tested for HIV.”

The proposers of the Bill are a separate network of parliamentarians from different committees who have given themselves a mission to work for the improvement of the population’s welfare. The coordinator of the team is hard-talking former Health Minister.

The bill is under fire from campaigners such as Human Rights Watch which described it on Wednesday as “deeply flawed and violate the government's obligations to uphold and protect human rights”.

The House rules of procedure entail that the initiators revise the bill and could re-introduce it at a later schedule.

Another controversial campaign they adopted by the same network of parliamentarians recently was ‘Two For One’ – essentially calling for only 2 children per couple. The motivation according the group is the spiraling population of the country.