Rwanda — Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s crushing election victory has been confirmed in final results, although his ruling party saw its representation in parliament reduced.
Kagame won 99.18 percent of the total ballots cast, giving him another five years in power, the National Electoral Commission said in a statement late Monday.
Democratic Green Party leader Frank Habineza won 0.5 percent against 0.32 percent for independent Philippe Mpayimana.
The outcome of the July 15 poll was never in doubt for the iron-fisted Kagame, who has ruled the small African nation as de facto leader and then president since the 1994 genocide.
Only two candidates were authorised to run against him in the presidential race out of a total eight applicants, with several prominent Kagame critics barred.
President #Kagame took a moment to thank members of his family and their friends for being his support system during the recent campaigns and electoral process. He was re-elected with 99.18% of the vote, and ruling party RPF-Inkotanyi won the majority in parliament.… pic.twitter.com/Ge6ILWdk25
— UKWELITIMES (@UKWELITIMES) July 21, 2024
In the parliamentary elections, the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and its allies secured 37 of the 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies which are elected by direct suffrage.
This was down from 40 in the former parliament.
Habineza’s party retained two seats, while the remainder were won by RPF allies.
Another 24 seats in the 80-member chamber are reserved for women, two for youth and one for people with disabilities, voted by indirect elections.
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Source: AFP
Picture: X/@gakurukarimu
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