Rwanda President Paul Kagame is on track to extend his 24-year rule by another five years in a landslide victory.
With about 79% of the ballots counted from Monday’s election, Kagame holds 99.15% of the vote, according to partial results announced by the electoral commission.
The 66-year-old leader faced no significant opposition, with leading challengers banned from running. His two opponents, environmentalist Frank Habineza and journalist Philippe Mpayimana, garnered only 0.53% and 0.32% of the vote, respectively.
In an address at his Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) party headquarters, Kagame expressed gratitude to Rwandans for their trust. “These are not just figures, even if it was 100%, these are not just numbers. [They] show the trust, and that is what is most important,” he said.
The final provisional results are expected by 20 July, with the complete results by 27 July. The results are unsurprising, reflecting the outcome of the 2017 election where Kagame also won overwhelmingly with 98.8% of the vote.
At least three potential candidates were disqualified from running, including Diane Rwigara, a vocal critic of Kagame.
The electoral commission reported a 98% turnout among the more than 9.5 million eligible voters, who were electing a president and 53 legislators. Elections for 27 special seats allocated for women, young people, and people with disabilities will take place on Tuesday.
Kagame has been Rwanda’s de-facto leader since the end of the 1994 genocide and has served as president since 2000. While rights groups accuse him of curtailing freedoms, his supporters credit him with economic growth and reducing ethnic divisions.
