{"id":38955,"date":"2017-08-05T06:27:17","date_gmt":"2017-08-05T06:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=38955"},"modified":"2017-08-05T06:27:17","modified_gmt":"2017-08-05T06:27:17","slug":"rwanda-kagame-sweeps-presidential-polls-to-win-third-term","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/rwanda-kagame-sweeps-presidential-polls-to-win-third-term.html","title":{"rendered":"Rwanda Kagame sweeps presidential polls to win third term"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rwanda Kagame sweeps presidential polls to win third term<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Rwanda’s incumbent leader Paul Kagame has sealed a crushing victory in presidential elections that granted him a third term in office, extending his 17 years in power.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kagame has won international plaudits for presiding over a peaceful and rapid economic recovery in the Central African nation since the 1994 genocide, when an estimated 800,000 people Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed.<\/span><\/p>\n

But he has also faced mounting censure for what critics and rights groups say are widespread human rights abuses, a muzzling of independent media and suppression of political opposition.<\/span><\/p>\n

With 80 percent of votes accounted for, the 59-year-old former guerrilla leader secured 98.66 percent, the National Electoral Commission’s Executive secretary Charles Munyaneza told a news conference.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We expect that even if we get 100 percent of votes, there will not be any change,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The board expected turnout to top 90 percent in the East African country of 12 million citizens once full details emerged, in elections that fielded only a single opposition candidate, Frank Habineza, and an independent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kagame, who cast his vote in Kigali’s Rugunga polling station earlier on Friday, said he would work to sustain economic growth in the tiny nation.<\/span><\/p>\n

“This is another seven years to take care of issues that affect Rwandans and ensure that we become real Rwandans who are (economically) developing,” he said in a speech broadcast live on television.<\/span><\/p>\n

Under his rule, some dissidents were killed after they fled abroad, in cases that remain unsolved. The government denies any involvement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kagame, a commander who led Tutsi rebel forces into Rwanda to end the 1994 genocide, banned the use of tribal terms after becoming president.<\/span><\/p>\n

He won the last election in 2010 with 93 percent of the vote and during this campaign for a further seven-year term, said he expected an outright victory.<\/span><\/p>\n

Habineza, who has so far won 0.45 percent of the early count, had promised to set up a tribunal to retry dissidents whose convictions by Rwandan courts have been criticized as politically motivated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another would-be opponent, Diane Rwigara, was disqualified by the election board despite her insistence that she met all the requirements to run.<\/span><\/p>\n

“To me I see this as a one-man race. I simply did not go to vote,” said one man in Kigali who asked not to be named.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-rwanda-election-idUSKBN1AK0RP<\/span><\/p>\n

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