KIGALI: Rwanda’s ruling party on Saturday nominated President Paul Kagame as its candidate for the July election, teeing up a contest widely expected to return the longtime leader to office for a fourth seven-year term.
At the Rwandan Patriotic Front congress that concluded on Saturday, Kagame’s candidacy went unopposed, according to the party.
The 66-year-old Kagame has been in power for decades, winning presidential elections in 2003, 2010, and 2017 with overwhelming margins, often exceeding 90 percent of the vote.
His main challenger in the July polls is expected to be Frank Habineza, the leader of the opposition Green Party, who secured a mere 0.45 percent of the vote in the 2017 election.
Another potential challenger, Victoire Ingabire, leader of the unregistered Dalfa Umurunzi movement, awaits a court decision on her eligibility to contest the presidency on March 13, following a past conviction.
Rwanda is set to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on July 15, after the government decided to synchronize the dates for the votes last year.
Electoral colleges and committees will choose twenty-four women MPs, two youth representatives, and a representative for disabled Rwandans on July 16. Campaigning will be permitted from June 22 to July 12, according to the election calendar.
Despite Rwanda’s reputation for stability, rights groups have criticized Kagame’s administration, alleging a climate of fear that stifles dissent and free speech.
