Kigali: Rwandans on Saturday celebrated the third-term victory of President Paul Kagame who pledged to continue transforming the nation after winning re-election with a record 98.63 per cent of the vote.
There had been little doubt that the 59-year-old would return to the helm of the east African nation which he has ruled with an iron fist since the end of the 1994 genocide.
“I am very pleased. I had hoped for this victory,” said Yvette Uwineza, a 36-year-old computer scientist. “The continuity is reassuring,” she said, crediting Kagame with developing the country and creating “a better life for Rwandans.”
Interim results published by the electoral commission on Sunday showed Kagame outdid his previous wins of 95 per cent in 2003 and 93 per cent in 2010.
The tally matched the proportion of people who supported a constitutional amendment two years ago permitting Kagame to run for a third, fourth and fifth term potentially seeing him rule until 2034.
“I honoured your request, and this (election) confirms that Rwandans made a choice based on the future they want,” Kagame told thousands of supporters at his ruling party’s headquarters in Kigali in the early hours of the morning.
“We are going to continue with the work we started by advocating for a better Rwanda.” Turnout was 96.42 per cent of 6.9 million voters.
Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party — the only permitted critical opposition party — won just 0.45 per cent of votes, beaten into third place by the little-known independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana with 0.72.
Both accepted their loss and vowed to continue in politics.
Rwandans celebrated Kagame’s win in muted fashion, with no spontaneous large gatherings in the disciplined nation.
Inside a gymnasium in the capital music and dancers entertained hundreds of party loyalists who celebrated into the morning.
Kagame has been the de facto leader of Rwanda since, as a 36-year-old, his rebel army routed extremist Hutu forces who slaughtered an estimated 800,000 people — mainly minority Tutsis — and seized Kigali in 1994. He was first appointed president by lawmakers in 2000.
Kagame is credited with a remarkable turnaround in the shattered nation, which boasts annual economic growth of about seven per cent, is safe, clean and has little corruption.
Rwanda also has the highest number of female lawmakers in the world. — AFP
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