A voter casts her poll at a polling station in Kigali, on July 15, 2024, throughout Rwanda’s presidential and parliamentary elections. © Guillem Sartorio / AFP
Paul Kagame, who has held the presidency in Rwanda for practically 1 / 4 of a century, is predicted to win decisively A voter casts her poll at a polling station in Kigali, on July 15, 2024, throughout Rwanda’s presidential and parliamentary elections. © Guillem Sartorio / AFP
Rwandans are casting their ballots in presidential and parliamentary elections, that are broadly anticipated at hand one other time period to President Paul Kagame.
Kagame has served as head of state since 2000, having been de-facto chief since 1994. Within the final three elections – in 2003, 2010, and 2017 – he secured greater than 90% of the vote.
African Union observers have been deployed at polling stations nationwide, and preliminary outcomes are anticipated by July 20. In parallel with the presidential election, Rwandans are additionally casting their votes for members of parliament on Monday and Tuesday.
Kagame, 66, is looking for a fourth time period of 5 years, after a 2015 constitutional modification diminished the presidential time period from seven years.
His two rivals – Frank Habineza of the Democratic Inexperienced Social gathering and unbiased Philippe Mpayimana – are the identical contenders that ran within the 2017 poll, during which they garnered lower than 1% of votes between them.
Different presidential hopefuls, together with a few of Kagame’s most outspoken critics, have been barred from the election for numerous causes, together with prior prison convictions.
President Kagame has highlighted safety, stability, unity, and financial growth as key priorities in his marketing campaign.
Talking at a rally within the northern Gakenke district on Thursday, he acknowledged: “We selected to rebuild ourselves and our nation, which was destroyed by dangerous politics and irresponsible leaders.”
Addressing the group, he continued: “You might have rebuilt yourselves, you have got constructed your abilities, and you’ve got competent leaders in any respect ranges. Due to this fact, you will need to do every little thing potential to make sure that Rwanda continues its path in direction of sustainable progress.”
President of Rwanda and Rwandan Patriotic Entrance (RPF) presidential candidate Paul Kagame casts his poll on the SOS Kinyinya polling station in in Kigali, on July 15, 2024. © LUIS TATO / AFP
The vote is happening amid rising tensions between Rwanda and the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the M23 insurgent group, which is engaged in battle in DR Congo, a declare that Kigali denies.
The election additionally follows the collapse of an asylum seeker deportation settlement that Kagame’s authorities had negotiated with the UK. Following the Labour Social gathering’s victory within the British elections on July 4, the brand new prime minister, Keir Starmer, introduced that the deal can be deserted.
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