President Paul Kagame, who led Rwanda out of the genocide, has since maintained a dominant position in the country. He is running for a fourth term, having already won three elections.
This year’s presidential and parliamentary elections in Rwanda come three decades after the genocide that resulted in the deaths of approximately 800,000 people. President Kagame, who played a crucial role in ending the violence, has remained in power since then and is anticipated to secure another victory on July 15.
During his presidency, Rwanda has achieved notable economic progress and has become a major contributor of troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions. However, critics argue that Kagame has also created a repressive regime, accused of extensive human rights abuses, where power and wealth are concentrated among his ethnic Tutsi elites.
Here is what to know about Rwanda’s election.
Why does this election matter?
The election is happening amid increasing tensions with the Democratic Republic of Congo. President Kagame has accused Congolese officials of supporting Hutu rebels who fled after the 1994 genocide and who he claims intend to return to complete their mission. Conversely, Kagame has been accused of causing instability in eastern Congo by supporting rebel groups that have committed massacres and displaced tens of thousands. Additionally, the elections are occurring in an environment restrictive to political opposition, journalists, and activists, according to rights groups like Amnesty International.
The election season began with President Kagame promoting Rwanda’s readiness to accept migrants deported from Britain, a controversial plan now abandoned by Britain’s new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.
Who is running, and who is likely to win?
Observers expect President Kagame, 66, to secure a fourth term, although there are no independent polls in Rwanda. In 2015, a referendum he supported altered term limits, allowing him to stay in power until 2034. In the 2017 election, Kagame won nearly 99 percent of the vote, which observers claimed was rigged. Opposition members were arrested and prosecuted, activists were intimidated, and many voters were reportedly coerced into voting for Kagame, according to independent observers and rights groups.
Nine candidates submitted their applications to the National Electoral Commission, which can approve or reject candidacies. Apart from Kagame, only two candidates were cleared: Frank Habineza, leader of the opposition Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate. Diane Rwigara, an opposition figure barred from running in 2017 due to alleged signature irregularities, was again blocked by the commission. The commission cited her failure to submit a criminal record statement and discrepancies in the identity documents from her supporters.
Rwigara suggested the decision was politically motivated, questioning Kagame on social media, “Why won’t you let me run? This is the second time you cheat me out of my right to campaign.”
Victoire Ingabire, another critic of Kagame, expressed interest in running but was blocked by a Rwandan court in March due to past convictions for terrorism and genocide denial. Although Kagame commuted her 15-year sentence in 2018, she has challenged the ruling at the East African Court of Justice. The official campaign period runs from June 22 to July 13.
How does Rwanda vote?
The electoral commission has registered over nine million voters for this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections, with about two million first-time voters. Voting will take place at 2,591 polling stations over three days. On July 14, Rwandans abroad will vote at embassies and diplomatic missions. On July 15, voters in Rwanda will choose their president and 53 of the 80 seats in the lower house of Parliament. On July 16, the remaining 27 seats, including representatives of the youth and disabled, will be elected.
When will we find out the results?
The electoral commission will release provisional results on July 20, with final results announced on July 27, about two weeks after the election.
Credit : The NY Times