Even with the counting still to be completed, Rwandan President Paul Kagame can celebrate a landslide victory in the country’s presidential elections with 99.15% of the votes received. This has been confirmed by the partial official results with 79% of the ballots included. “The results show a very high number of votes in my favor. They are not just numbers, but an expression of confidence,” said Kagame, commenting on the political success.
A landslide victory
Presidential and legislative elections were held in Rwanda in which Kagame, who has ruled the country since the Tutsi genocide ended in 1994, along with his party, emerged as clear winners. “The Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) candidate, Paul Kagame, received 99.15% of the votes in the presidential election, the Green Democratic Party of Rwanda candidate, Frank Habineza, received 0.53% and the independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana received 0.32%,” a said the President of the Electoral Commission, Oda Gasinzigwa, on national television.
Nine million called to vote
Nine million citizens were called to vote. In the country, located in the Great Lakes region of East Africa, 65% of the population is under 30 and, so far, has known nothing but Kagame himself in power.