Millions of Rwandans headed to the polls on Monday in a bid to handily win for President Paul Kagame, extending his iron fisted rule for another five years.
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Kagame has been Rwanda’s de facto leader since the end of the genocide in 1994 and president since 2000, but is facing just two candidates after several prominent critics were barred from running.
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This line-up is a mirror image of the last election in 2017, when Kagame swept past his rivals with almost 99% of the vote, leaving little doubt about the outcome of this year’s election.
Of the eight candidates, only two were allowed to run against President Kagame – Frank Habineza, leader of the Democratic Green Party, and independent Philippe Mpaimana.
Sixty-five percent of Rwanda’s population is under 30, and Kagame, seeking a fourth term, is the only leader most Rwandans know.
The 66-year-old is credited with rebuilding a traumatized nation after a genocide by Hutu extremists that killed some 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis but also moderate Hutus.
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But his regime has been widely criticized by human rights groups for being authoritarian and for suppressing the media and political opposition through arbitrary detentions, killings and enforced disappearances.
Abroad, the country faces accusations of fuelling instability in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, where a UN report says Rwandan troops are fighting alongside M23 rebels in the conflict-hit east.
More than nine million Rwandans are registered to vote on Monday, and for the first time, presidential elections will be held simultaneously with parliamentary elections.
Polling stations will open at 7am and vote counting will begin as soon as they close at 3pm, with partial results expected to be announced as the counting progresses.
Kagame won with more than 93% of the vote in 2003, 2010 and 2017, and in the most recent election he received 98.79% of the vote, compared to just 0.48% for Habineza and 0.73% for Mpayimana.
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He oversaw controversial constitutional changes that shortened presidential terms from seven to five years and reset the term limits of Rwanda’s leaders, allowing them to rule until 2034.
A Rwandan court has rejected an appeal by prominent opposition leaders Bernard Ntaganda and Victoire Ingabire to have criminal records quashed that effectively disqualifies them from voting on Monday.
The electoral commission also barred Diane Rwigara, a prominent critic of President Kagame, from running, citing paperwork issues after she was rejected for a second time.
Ahead of the elections, Amnesty International said Rwanda’s opposition faces “severe restrictions, intimidation, arbitrary detention, prosecution, trumped-up charges, killings and enforced disappearances.”
The imbalance between Mr Kagame and his rivals became apparent during the three-week election campaign, when a slick public relations campaign by the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front party was in full swing.
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Pennants on cars, flags along the roads, posters and banners, the ruling party’s red, white and blue colours and slogans such as “Tiger Kagame Paul” and “PK24” are seen everywhere.
Despite much criticism, Kagame enjoys significant support in Rwanda.
According to the World Bank, nearly half of the population lives on less than $2.15 a day, but President Kagame has overseen economic growth of an average of 7.2 percent between 2012 and 2022 and the development of infrastructure such as hospitals and roads.
“He did great things – he helped children go to school, he got more teachers and he gave us health insurance,” Benantia Niirangendo, 51, said at the RPF’s final rally on Saturday.
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“Without him in power, this country would fall apart. It’s good that he is our leader. We all love him.”
Kagame’s rallies have drawn huge crowds but his rivals have struggled to be heard, with some rallies drawing as few as 100 people.
“It’s good that people are no longer afraid to listen to other candidates,” Mpaimana said, but added: “We are facing candidates who are too strong.”
In parallel parliamentary elections, more than 500 candidates are vying for 80 seats in the lower house.
Of those, 53 are elected by popular vote. The RPF currently has 40 seats, its allies have 11 and Habineza’s Greens have two.
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Another 24 women, two youth and one person with a disability will be elected. All candidates running for these seats must be independents, and indirect elections will take place on Tuesday.
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