KIGALI, Rwanda
The campaign for Rwanda's July 15 presidential election began Saturday, with nine million registered voters. This election is coupled with the legislative elections for the first time.
Paul Kagame, first elected
president by Parliament in 2000 and re-elected by universal suffrage in 2003,
2010, and 2017 with over 90% of the vote each time, will face Frank Habineza
and Philippe Mpayimana, his 2017 opponents.
Key opposition figures like
Victoire Ingabire and Bernard Ntaganda are barred from running due to past
convictions. Diane Rwigara's candidacy was invalidated due to non-compliant
documents; she was previously excluded and acquitted in 2018.
A 2015 constitutional revision
changed presidential terms from seven to five years, allowing Kagame to
potentially stay in power until 2034 if re-elected.
Legislative elections have
been synchronized with the presidential election, with over 500 candidates
vying for 80 parliamentary seats. Voters will directly elect 53
representatives, with 27 seats reserved for women, youth, and disabled
individuals, chosen indirectly.
No comments:
Post a Comment