Rwandan President Paul Kagame is on course to extend his 24-year rule by another five years in a landslide victory, with most of the votes counted from Monday’s election.
He has 99.15% of the vote so far, with about 79% of ballots counted, partial results announced by the electoral commission show.
The 66-year-old again faced no meaningful opposition, with leading figures in the Rwandan elections banned. His two opponents shared less than 1% of the vote. Paul Kagame, representing the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), defeated his closest rival, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party, who garnered 38,301 votes (0.53%), and Phillipe Mpayimana, who received 22,753 votes (0.32%).
Kagame, who 1st assumed power in 2000, secures over 99% of votes in Monday polls amid promises of development and security
Chrysologue Karangwa, President of the Electoral Commission of Rwanda, declared Kagame the winner after he received 7,099,810 votes, equating to 99.15% of the total 9,071,157 votes cast.
This election marks Rwanda’s fourth since the 1994 genocide, with citizens voting for both the presidential and parliamentary seats. The counting of parliamentary votes is still underway, with over 500 candidates competing for 80 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of parliament.
Kagame, who is said to be a de facto leader of the country since the end of the 1994 genocide and president since 2000, won the 2017 election with more than 98% of the vote. His latest campaign focused on promises of inclusive development, security, and improving citizens’ livelihoods without leaving anyone behind. He was eligible to run in the current election due to a 2015 constitutional amendment that allowed him to seek three additional terms. While this amendment permitted Kagame a seven-year term in 2017, it also reduced presidential terms to five years starting in 2024.
In an address at his Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) party headquarters, Mr Kagame thanked Rwandans for their trust.
“These are not just figures, even if it was 100%, these are not just numbers. [They] show the trust, and that is what is most important,” Mr Kagame said.
The full provisional results are due by 20 July and the final ones by 27 July.
The results come as no surprise.
They mirror the 2017 election’s outcome that had the same candidates taking part – which Mr Kagame won with 98.8% of the vote. At least three aspirants were disqualified from running, including Diane Rwigara, an outspoken critic of Mr Kagame.
The electoral commission says 98% of the more than 9.5 million eligible voters took part in the elections. Rwandans were voting for a president and 53 legislators.
Elections for 27 special seats meant for women, young people, and people with disabilities will take place on Tuesday.
Rights groups accuse him of curtailing freedoms since taking office, while his supporters say he had presided over economic growth and helped end ethnic divisions.
Source: BBC Africa, The New Times
