Rwandan President Paul Kagame has won a fourth term in office with an overwhelming 99.15% of the vote, according to partial results issued by the election commission.
The outcome of the election was never in doubt, with Kagame ruling the small African nation with an iron fist for three decades.
Kagame thanked Rwandans for giving him another five years in office, saying “The results that have been presented indicate a very high score, these are not just figures, even if it was 100 per cent, these are not just numbers.
These figures show the trust, and that is what is most important.” He added, “I am hopeful that together we can solve all problems.”
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The election was held on Monday, with only two challengers allowed to run against Kagame.
The Democratic Green Party candidate Frank Habineza could only muster 0.53 per cent and independent Philippe Mpayimana 0.32 per cent, according to the results issued with 79 per cent of ballots counted.
Kagame has overseen a remarkable economic recovery, with GDP growing by an average of 7.2 per cent per year between 2012 and 2022, although the World Bank says almost half the population lives on less than $2.15 a day.
However, abroad, Kigali is accused of meddling in the troubled eastern DRC, where a UN report says its troops are fighting alongside M23 rebels.
The imbalance between the candidates was evident during the three-week campaign, as the well-oiled PR machine of the ruling RPF swung into high gear. Kagame’s rivals struggled to make their voices heard, with barely 100 people showing up to some events.
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Amnesty International said Rwanda’s political opposition faced “severe restrictions… as well as threats, arbitrary detention, prosecution, trumped-up charges, killings and enforced disappearances”.
The election commission also barred high-profile Kagame critic Diane Rwigara, citing issues with her paperwork – the second time she was excluded from running.
