Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, has secured a fourth term in office with 99.15 percent of the votes in Monday’s presidential election, based on partial results with about 79 percent of ballots counted, according to the country’s electoral commission.
Out of Rwanda’s 14 million population, 9.5 million registered to vote. Kagame’s main opponents, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana, each garnered less than one percent of the provisional results.
This outcome mirrors the 2017 election, where Kagame similarly won nearly 99 percent of the votes.
In an address at his Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) party headquarters in Kigali, Kagame expressed gratitude to Rwandans for their trust.
Kagame came to power as the leader of rebel forces that ended the 1994 genocide, subsequently becoming vice-president and the de facto leader until he officially became president in 2000.
Now 64 years old, Kagame can remain in office until 2034 following a 2015 constitutional amendment that lifted the two-term limit.
While he has received international praise for maintaining peace and fostering economic growth since the genocide, Kagame has also faced criticism from rights groups and Western nations. Nonetheless, he has stated that he is unconcerned with foreign opinions on his extended rule, emphasizing that his mandate comes from the people.
Cable