President Kagame of Rwanda wins 99% of the vote to continue serving in office for another 24 years

With the majority of votes counted, Paul Kagame secured 99.15% of the vote, securing another term as president.

According to preliminary results released by the electoral commission, Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, is expected to win a landslide victory and extend his 24-year rule by five more years after the majority of votes from Monday’s election have been counted. He has received 99.15% of the vote thus far, with roughly 79% of the ballots having been counted.

The 66-year-old encountered no significant resistance because prominent people were prohibited from contesting. The votes cast for environmentalist Frank Habineza and former journalist and government advisor Philippe Mpayimana, respectively, were 0.53% and 0.32%.

In a speech at the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) party headquarters, Kagame thanked Rwandans for their confidence. Even if the percentage was 100%, they are more than simply numbers. What matters most, he continued, is that [they] demonstrate trust.

Final results must be received by July 27. The complete provisional results should be available by July 20. The results of this election bear a lot of similarities to those of the 2017 election, in which Kagame defeated the same opponents and received 98.8% of the vote.

At least three candidates were eliminated from the race, among them was vocal critic Diane Rwigara. 98% of the more over 9.5 million eligible voters cast ballots for 53 lawmakers and the president in the elections, according to the electoral commission. On Tuesday, there will be elections for 27 special seats reserved for women, youth, and individuals with impairments.

Since the massacre in 1994, Kagame has presided over Rwanda as its de facto leader and president since 2000. His supporters praise him for supervising economic expansion and assisting in the eradication of ethnic tensions, while rights organizations charge him with restricting liberties.