Kagame expected to win third term in Rwandan presidentials

Published on 04/08/2017 - 11:10

Rwandan President Paul Kagame looks set for a third term as the country votes for a new president.

The polls have opened in Rwanda and voting has begun, with the only opposition party that is tolerated in Rwanda, the Green Democratic party, presenting its leader Frank Habineza as its presidential candidate.

Habineza split from the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front party in 2009, but polls give him no chance against President Paul Kagame, who has run the nation since 1994 when he put a stop to the genocide between Hutus and Tutsis.

President PaulKagame</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstLadyRwanda">FirstLadyRwanda just cast their votes at Ape Rugunga in Nyarugenge</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RwandaDecides?src=hash">#RwandaDecides</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RwandaElection2017?src=hash">#RwandaElection2017</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rwanda?src=hash">#Rwanda</a> <a href="https://t.co/fAy4tGUFTa">pic.twitter.com/fAy4tGUFTa</a></p>— Mukamana Alice (mukamana25) 4 août 2017

Kagame changed the constitution to allow him to run for a third term, and although Rwanda is now peaceful and relatively prosperous a Tutsi elite runs things and criticism of the regime is stifled, sometimes violently claim critics.

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