Photo credit: Daily Journal
Rwanda’s incumbent president, Paul Kagame, has defeated the opposition in a landslide victory.The Guardian reports that Kagame has won over 99 per cent of votes in a provisional count in the country’s election result. As a result, his tenure will will extend to nearly a quarter of a century.
The election on Monday was seen as a mere formality. Only two other candidates were allowed to compete: Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party scored 0.53 per cent of the votes, and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate, scored 0.3 per cent.
“The results that have been presented indicate a very high score, these are not just figures, even if it was 100% these are not just numbers,” Kagame said in an address.
“These figures show the trust, and that is what is most important. I am hopeful that together we can solve all problems.”
Kagame had led the RPF when it was a rebel group, defending external Hutu forces and ending the 1994 genocide that killed more than 800,000 people, mostly members of the Tutsi ethnic minority.
