Rwanda Elections: Voters Head to the Polls

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Facts

• Rwanda's presidential and parliamentary elections began on Monday with the East African country's long-time leader, Pres. Paul Kagame, reportedly set to secure his fourth term in office.¹
• About 9M Rwandans in one of Africa's fastest-growing economies headed to the polls to elect the president and 53 members of the 80-seat parliament. Voting for the remaining 27 seats will be held on Tuesday.²
• Kagame was appointed president by parliament in 2000 after he led the Rwandan Patriotic Front rebel group against Hutu extremists and ended the 1994 genocide — which killed 800K people, mostly members of the Tutsi ethnic minority.³
• Kagame — who secured over 93% of the vote at the last three elections — faces two candidates: the Democratic Green Party's Frank Habineza and independent Philippe Mpayimana.⁴
• He is credited for Rwanda's post-genocide economic growth, while his government has faced criticism for allegedly suppressing political dissent in the country and meddling in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo's conflict.⁵
• Rwanda's parliamentary election is being held concurrent with the presidential vote for the first time.⁶

Sources: ¹France 24, ²BBC News, ³Guardian, ⁴Reuters, ⁵RFI and ⁶Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The New Times. This election will determine whether Rwanda continues its stability and economic growth path. Under Kagame's leadership, the traumatized country experienced a transformation hardly thought possible. However, much work must be done to ensure that all Rwandans can enjoy its fruits. Regardless of who ultimately wins the race, thanks to Kagame, Rwanda — unlike many countries that lecture others about democracy — is united and peaceful, with no violence expected during the elections.
• Narrative B, as provided by New York Times. One can't speak of a democratic election if the outcome is already known in advance, as in the case of Rwanda. Not only had opposition members campaigned under severe restrictions, but many had been threatened, harassed, beaten, and detained without charges. Moreover, few benefit from Rwanda's development, and young Rwandans suffer from high unemployment. Rwandans have little choice but to prepare for another five years under Kagame's iron fist.

Predictions