Rwanda’s electoral commission says President Paul Kagame has won a third term in a landslide victory.
The commission said partial results of Friday’s election had the president winning 98 percent of the votes. In July, Kagame told a political rally that “the day of the presidential elections will just be a formality.”
“This is another seven years to take care of issues that affect Rwandans and ensure that we become real Rwandans who are (economically) developing,” Kagame said in a speech broadcast live early Friday.
At the national headquarters of Kagame’s Rwandan Patriotic Front political party, thousands of political leaders, supporters and donors watched large screen televisions displaying the election results as they came in district by district.
Supporters thrilled
“Tonight we are very, very, extremely happy because he accepted our request [to lead the country],” said Fred Namania, a 30-year-old medical student, at the event. “And, we are looking forward to a lot of things being done in the next seven years.”
Kagame has been in power for 17 years. A 2015 constitutional referendum, approved by 98 percent of voters, could allow Kagame to remain in power until 2034.
“I feel like President Kagame should lead us for [more] decades,” Namania said.
Other Kagame supporters told VOA they aren’t looking for a president for life.
“At the end of the [new] seven-year term of his excellency, Paul Kagame, someone will continue after him,” Kagame supporter Joseph Zorondera said after casting his ballot at the Mbandazi Primary School primary school outside Kigali.
“We need a good leader in our country now to continue to secure the country, to help the people of Rwanda and to continue to develop the country for the next seven years,” he added.
Voting appeared to be smooth
Voting was calm as people trickled into the school in the hilly outskirts of the sprawling capital city, casting ballots in different classrooms.
Valerian Musengamana, the polling station chief, told VOA “the people are very happy with the activities of the election. They are really satisfied.”
The East African Community sent international observers to monitor the polls. The European Union decided not to send a team of observers. Representatives of local observer missions told VOA they hadn’t encountered any significant issues and that the voting appeared to be progressing smoothly.
Opposition presidential candidate Frank Habineza, of the Green Party, told VOA that some of his party’s observers had been denied access to polling stations but, after informing the National Election Commission, 95 percent of them were permitted to monitor the voting process.
Habineza is one of two challengers Kagame faced in his bid for a third term. Independent Philippe Mpayimana is also on the ballot.
Few of their supporters would accept to be interviewed at the polls.
“I chose [the Green] party simply because of its good platform,” said voter Charles Ndamage, with electoral commission officials watching nearby. “The manifesto presented by Habineza was very interesting to me. For instance, the fact that he wants to develop the country by reducing the step between rich people and poor people.”
Kagame endorsements
Nine of the 11 political parties permitted to register in Rwanda have endorsed Kagame. Four other presidential hopefuls were disqualified by the electoral commission. The government and ruling party have brushed off allegations from human rights groups that authorities have restricted freedom of expression and stifled political opposition.
Kagame is widely credited with stabilizing the country after a 1994 genocide.
“They [the opposition candidates] are good but … I don’t think any of them will do better than Paul Kagame. Because we have seen for the last few years that he has been on, the changes. It’s really a big change. It’s obvious,” said voter Imelda Batamoliza.
Kagame’s supporters point to developments like improved roads, more communities connected to clean water, and recently built schools.
