Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, both feared and admired, is poised to extend his 24-year rule in an election he is expected to win by a landslide.
He has consistently dominated elections since taking office in 2000, often securing over 90% of the vote, with a staggering 99% in 2017.
His opponents in the current election, the only ones authorized to run after others were barred by the state electoral commission, face an uphill battle.
Kagame, 66, has led Rwanda since his rebel forces seized power at the end of the 1994 genocide that claimed the lives of around 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
Under his leadership, Rwanda has been praised for its dramatic recovery and national unity.
“Rwanda was essentially written off 30 years ago, but thanks in part to Kagame’s leadership, the country has achieved stability,” noted Dr. Felix Ndahinda, an expert on the Great Lakes region.
Critics, however, accuse Kagame of stifling opposition and even orchestrating assassinations of dissidents abroad.
Kagame vehemently defends Rwanda’s human rights record, asserting that the country respects political freedoms. Nonetheless, analysts view the upcoming election as a mere “formality.”
Approximately nine million Rwandans are registered to vote, including two million first-time voters.
The electoral process will decide the president and 53 lower house parliament members on Monday, with an additional 27 MPs elected the following day.
Kagame’s two opposition contenders, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party and independent Philippe Mpayimana, garnered just over 1% of the vote combined in 2017.
Despite the daunting odds, Habineza remains optimistic about the democratic process, advocating for freedom of speech and the media.
Some Rwandans are receptive to opposition voices. Celestin Mutuyeyezu, 28, a former Kagame supporter, has been swayed by Habineza’s promises to combat unemployment.
“He said great things on fighting unemployment, and he’s got me,” Mutuyeyezu remarked.
However, challenging Kagame’s dominance remains a formidable task. Diane Rwigara, a vocal critic of the president, was disqualified from running in both the 2017 and current elections, citing alleged documentation issues.
Despite Rwanda’s economic growth, concerns persist over high youth unemployment and access to basic necessities.
Kagame is credited with Rwanda’s remarkable economic transformation and stability over the past three decades.
The country boasts Kigali, its clean capital, and the world’s highest proportion of female MPs at 61%. Described by some as more akin to a corporate CEO than a political figure, Kagame is noted for his relentless pursuit of excellence in all sectors of Rwandan society.
Despite periodic criticism of Western nations, Kagame actively cultivates beneficial relationships, including collaboration with the UK on initiatives such as asylum seeker deportations, now discontinued.
Rwanda has also leveraged soft power through sports, culture, and international events, hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2022 and attracting global stars like Kendrick Lamar for concerts.
However, Kagame’s diplomatic strategy is not without controversy. Days before the election, a UN report revealed Rwandan troops in neighboring DR Congo, accused of supporting the M23 rebel group.
Rwanda did not deny the allegation, citing the DR Congo government’s purported lack of political will to resolve the east’s longstanding instability.
On the campaign trail, Kagame pledged to protect Rwanda from external threats amid tensions with DR Congo and Burundi.
The election outcome, expected soon, will likely affirm Kagame’s extended tenure, reflecting both his achievements and the ongoing debates over political freedoms in Rwanda.
Source-BBC
