Rwanda’s longtime President Paul Kagame has won a third term in office in what he had called “a formality.” Electoral authorities overnight said Kagame has won more than 98 percent of the vote with 80 percent of the votes counted so far, with no major change expected when final results are announced today. Electoral authorities overnight said Mr Kagame had won more than 98% of the vote with 80% of ballots counted, with no major change expected when final results are announced later on Saturday. The 59-year-old president has been praised for the country’s economic growth, but human rights groups accuse his government of using state powers to silence opponents. “This is another seven years to take care of issues that affect Rwandans and ensure that we become real Rwandans who are [economically] developing,” Mr Kagame said in a speech broadcast on live television. Another backer, Mukashimyirimiza Zainabu, said Kagame had “built schools, he’s provided healthcare, roads, electricity so we’re really behind him.”

In contrast, only a few hundred people have attended the rallies of Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party — the only permitted critical opposition party — and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana. The Rwandan genocide broke out following the assassination of former President Juvenal Habyarimana, whose plane was shot down in April 1994; the event sparked a mass campaign of violence by extremists from the Hutu ethnic majority, who slaughtered more than 800,000 people, mostly from the Tutsi minority, in 100 days. Kagame was not supposed to run this time, but following an August 2015 consultation with “millions of Rwandans”, only ten people were found who opposed a constitutional amendment which took place later that year. Saturday's tally matched the proportion of people who supported a constitutional amendment two years ago permitting Kagame to run for a third, fourth and fifth term potentially seeing him rule until 2034.
Voters in Rwanda go to the polls to elect their president. Paul Kagame, incumbent since 2000, referred to the election as a formality, despite challenges from the Democratic Greens' Frank Habineza and independent Philippe Mpayimana. Kagame is re-elected with 98.66 of the vote.