Rwanda Elections: Paul Kagame Wins 99% of Vote in Partial Results

Rwandan President Paul Kagame is set to extend his 24-year rule by five more years thanks to a landslide victory with most votes counted in Monday’s election.

He now holds 99.15% of the vote, with around 79% of the ballots counted, according to partial results announced by the electoral commission.

The 66-year-old candidate faced no significant opposition, with his top leaders banned from voting. His two opponents received less than 1% of the vote.

Mr Kagame thanked Rwandans for their trust in him in a speech at the headquarters of his party, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).

“These are not just numbers, even if it was 100%, these are not just numbers. (They) show confidence, and that is what is most important,” Kagame said.

His opponents – environmentalist Frank Habineza and former journalist and government advisor Philippe Mpayimana – obtained 0.53% and 0.32% respectively.

Full provisional results are expected on July 20 and final results on July 27.

The results are not surprising.

They reflect the results of the 2017 elections, in which the same candidates ran, and which Mr Kagame won with 98.8% of the vote.

The electoral commission says 98% of the more than 9.5 million eligible voters participated in the election.

They voted for a president and 53 legislators.

Elections for 27 special seats for women, youth and people with disabilities will be held on Tuesday.

Mr Kagame has been Rwanda’s de facto leader since the end of the 1994 genocide and president since 2000.

Human rights groups accuse him of curtailing freedoms since coming to power, while his supporters say he has presided over economic growth and helped end ethnic divisions.