Rwandan President Paul Kagame is set to begin his fourth term in office after securing an impressive 99.15 percent of the vote in Monday's presidential election.
Partial results released by the election commission seven hours after the polls closed indicated that Kagame increased his vote share from 98.79 percent in the previous election seven years ago. His main competitors, Democratic Green Party candidate Frank Habineza and independent Philippe Mpayimana, garnered 0.53 percent and 0.32 percent of the votes, respectively, based on 79 percent of ballots counted.
In a heartfelt address from the headquarters of his ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front, the 66-year-old Kagame thanked Rwandans for their continued trust and promised to serve for another five years. \"These figures show the trust, and that is what is most important,\" he stated.
The National Electoral Commission (NEC) affirmed that the electoral process was conducted in a safe and transparent atmosphere for Rwandans both domestically and abroad. Over 100,000 Rwandans volunteered as polling staff, and more than 1,100 local and foreign observers were accredited to oversee the elections.
Full provisional results are expected by July 20, with definitive results slated for July 27.
Reference(s):
Rwanda's Kagame wins fourth term as president with 99 percent of vote
cgtn.com
