Rwandan President Paul Kagame is on course to extend his 24-year rule for another five years after winning a landslide victory as most votes from Monday’s election were counted.
The partial results announced by the electoral commission show that he has received 99.15% of the votes so far, with about 79% of the votes counted.
His two opponents received less than 1% of the vote.
Mr Kagame thanked Rwandans for their confidence in the country during a speech at the headquarters of his party, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).
“These are not just numbers, even if it was 100%, these are not just numbers. (They) show the confidence, and that is the most important thing,” Mr Kagame said.
His opponents – environmental activist Frank Habineza and journalist and author Philippe Mpayimana – have 0.53% and 0.32% respectively.
The full provisional results must be known by July 20th and the final results by July 27th.
The results are not surprising.
They reflect the results of the 2017 elections, in which the same candidates participated, when Kagame won with 98.8% of the vote.
The 66-year-old leader again faced no significant opposition and leading figures were exiled.
At least three candidates were disqualified from participating, including: Diane Rwigara, an outspoken critic from Mr Kagame.
According to the Electoral Commission, 98% of the more than 9.5 million eligible voters took part in the elections.
They voted for a president and 53 legislators.
Elections will take place on Tuesday for 27 special seats for women, youth and people with disabilities.
Mr Kagame has been de facto leader of Rwanda since the end of the genocide in 1994 and president since 2000.
Human rights groups accuse him of curtailing freedoms since taking office, while his supporters say he has promoted economic growth and helped end ethnic divisions.
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