Rwanda

Ruling party's certain victory

Article published on the 2008-09-15 Latest update 2008-09-16 07:25 TU

Voters on first day of legislative elections, Kigali, 15 September 2008
photo: Reuters

Rwanda is holding its second legislative elections since the 1994 genocide. There's one candidate standing as an 'independent', but the two other parties fielding candidates are both allied with the president's party, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).

Rwandan president Paul Kagame cast his ballot in the central African nation's second legislative poll since the 1994 genocide, and said he had no reason not to be confident. 

The election results are actually a foregone conclusion. Kagame's ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) is unchallenged in these polls. Only one independent candidate is standing and the two other parties are the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party. Both backed Kagame in the 2003 presidential election. He was re-elected with 95 per cent.

However, the Rwandan political opposition does exist. It is made up of about a dozen parties which have been in exile since the end of the genocide and did not field candidates.

The United Democratic Forces, a coalition of Brussels-based Rwandan opposition movements, has criticised the poll calling it a "smoke screen." 

A member of the European Union's observation mission, described the election as "very organised".

Polling stations opened early in the morning Monday, and are due to stay open until Thursday.

The Rwandan legislative ballot consists of several separate stages. On Monday, 53 lawmakers are elected directly. The 27 other parliament seats are allocated through indirect elections to be held over three days from 16 September.  24 of these seats are reserved for women, two for youth representatives and one for a representative of the disabled.

Provisional results are expected on 22 September and final results three days later, according to the electoral commission in Kigali.

Rwanda is one of the few countries in the world with a gender-equal parliament. In the outgoing house, nearly half the members are women. According to the electoral commission, women account for 55 per cent of the 4.7 million registered voters.