Rwanda’s President Kagame cruises to crushing election victory, early results indicate
- President since 2000, partial results pointed to Kagame extending his iron-fisted rule by another five years with 99.15 per cent of the vote
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame scored a crushing election victory that will extend his iron-fisted rule by another five years, according to partial results issued on Monday.
De facto leader since the end of the 1994 genocide and president since 2000, Kagame scored 99.15 per cent of the vote, the National Election Commission announced after 79 per cent of ballots had been counted.
It tops the 98.79 per cent Kagame won in the last election in 2017 and is streets ahead of Democratic Green Party candidate Frank Habineza with 0.53 per cent and independent Philippe Mpayimana with 0.32 per cent.
Democratic Green Party candidate Frank Habineza was given 0.53 per cent of the vote and independent Philippe Mpayimana 0.32 per cent.
The outcome of Monday’s poll was never in doubt, with Kagame accused of muzzling the opposition and several prominent critics barred from the race.
With 65 per cent of the population aged under 30, Kagame – who has secured a fourth term – is the only leader most Rwandans have ever known.