The electoral process in Rwanda encompassed both presidential and legislative elections with Kagame at the helm, steering the nation since the conclusion of the Tutsi genocide in 1994. His party emerged as the predominant victor in the elections.
With 79 percent of the total votes tallied, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) candidate, Paul Kagame, garnered a resounding 99.15 percent in the presidential race, while Frank Habineza of the Green Democratic Party of Rwanda secured 0.53 percent and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana secured 0.32 percent, according to Oda Gasinzigwa, the President of the Electoral Commission, in an announcement broadcasted on national television.
The voter turnout was significant, with thousands of individuals participating in the polling exercise.
Kagame’s current winning margin surpasses his 2017 election victory, where he attained 98.79 percent of the votes cast, leaving his contenders, the only authorized candidates on the ballot, considerably behind.
The final election results are scheduled to be unveiled on 27 July.
Nonetheless, Kagame’s triumph was widely anticipated, given the restrictions imposed on press freedom and political dissent by his administration, resulting in the exclusion of many critics from the electoral process.
Acknowledging the preliminary results, Kagame conveyed his gratitude from the RPF headquarters, emphasizing that the high percentage of votes reflects a profound level of confidence among the populace.
Gatangaza Bwiza Nelly, a 21-year-old voter in these elections, highlighted the significance of participating for the first time and expressed confidence in the predictability of the outcome based on past election results.
Rwanda, a nation with a youthful demographic wherein 65 percent of the population is under 30, has seen Kagame (66) as the solitary leader at the helm of power.
Kagame’s ascension to power in 1994, through an RPF rebellion that ousted the extremist Hutu government, led to the cessation of a genocide that claimed the lives of 800,000 individuals, primarily from the Tutsi community, according to UN estimates.
Initially assuming roles as Vice-President and Minister of Defence, Kagame steered the country de facto until his parliamentary election as President in 2000 after Pasteur Bizimungu’s resignation. Subsequently, Kagame clinched reelection in three successive polls, securing over 93 percent of the popular vote each time.
This election cycle marked the first instance where presidential and legislative elections coincided, with 589 candidates competing for the 80 parliamentary seats, predominantly held by Kagame’s party.
Sf/fss/abj/APA with AFP