EngRegional
Rwanda electoral commission approves three out of nine presidential aspirants
From the left, President Paul Kagame, Frank Habineza and Philippe Mpayimana.
Rwanda’s National Electoral
Commission (NEC) published a provisional list of presidential and parliamentary
candidates on June 6, specifying that out of nine aspirants who filed
candidatures for the presidency, only three meet the requirements.
The three are incumbent
President Paul Kagame, representing the ruling RPF-Inkotanyi party, Frank
Habineza, a lawmaker who is representing the opposition party, Democratic Green
Party of Rwanda, and independent aspirant Philippe Mpayimana.
The three are going to contest
for the second time, on July 15, following their participation in the 2017
presidential election in which Kagame got 98.63 per cent votes, Mpayimana 0.73
per cent, and Habineza 0.47 per cent.
The six who failed to comply
with the requirements are Herman Manirareba, Innocent Hakizimana, Fred Sekikubo
Barafinda, Thomas Habimana, Diane Rwigara, and Jean Mbanda. However, they are
allowed to submit their missing documents before June 14, when the final list
will be made public.
The unfulfilled requirements
for registered voters who support a candidate cannot be completed after May 30,
which was the deadline for submitting candidatures.
Concerning the candidates for
Member of Parliament, NEC approved the lists submitted by six political parties
while only one independent candidate met the requirements. It provisionally
approved 181 candidates for the 24 women seats, 23 for the two youth
representatives while seven were cleared to compete for the seat earmarked for
persons with disabilities.
All the approved candidates
will begin campaigns on June 22, and close on July 13 before voting gets
underway from July 14 to 15.
RPF-Inkotanyi gained 40 seats
out of 53 seats voted for in the previous parliamentary elections held in
September 2018.
Opposition parties including
Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and PS Imberakuri got two seats, respectively,
while Social Democratic Party (PSD) won five seats, and Liberal Party (PL) won
four seats.
Regarding RPF’s popularity,
political analysts believe that President Kagame is likely to win the upcoming
polls. The 67-year-old is widely respected, and loved, for having transformed
post-genocide Rwanda from a devastated state to a very successful story today.
The two other candidates,
whose hope to win is still low, according to observers, are also public
servants regardless of being opponents of RPF.
Mpayimana has been serving as
senior expert in charge of community engagement in the Ministry of National
Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE) since November 12, 2021.
Since September 2018, Habineza
has been a member of Rwanda’s Chamber of Deputes, the lower house, in the
country’s bicameral Parliament.
It is the fourth time that Rwanda is holding elections without violence among the population.
