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By Annonciata Byukusenge
Rwanda will hold presidential election in July, when President Paul Kagame bided for the fourth term, according to the new released presidential order.
Earlier this year, Rwanda’s Constitution approved the amendment of harmonizing presidential and parliamentary election to cut cost and improve efficiency in polling.
Now the new presidential order in the official gazette released today on December 12, said voting for president and 53 deputies in lower house of Parliament would take place across the country on July 15, while the remaining deputies will be elected on July 16.
“Throughout the country the polling date for the president of the Republic and 53 deputies elected from a final list of names of candidates proposed by political organization or for independent candidates is on Monday, 15 July 2024.” Reads the order.
It says that for Rwanda nationals who vote from outside Rwanda, the polling date for the president of the republic and 53 Deputies elected from final list of names of candidates proposed by political organization or independent candidates is Sunday, 14 July 2024.
The polling date for Deputies elected by specific organs is on 16 July 2024 and will take about seven days.
Normally in Rwandan parliament, there are 24 female deputies elected by specific electoral colleges in accordance with national administrative entities, two deputies elected by the national Youth Council and the one elected by the National Council of Persons with Disabilities.
Specially, the distribution of seats for 24 female Deputies elected by specific organs in accordance with the national administrative entities based on the number of population of each Province and City of Kigali also is included in polling.
” North has four seats, South six, East six, West six while Kigali has two” the order additionally indicates.
It is planned that the electoral campaign for candidates for the election of the President of the Republic and election of deputies starts on Saturday, 22 June 2024. The overall campaign will close on 23 July 2024.
President Paul Kagame who has officially been in the presidential seat since 2003, has in September announced for the first time that he will run for a fourth term in next year’s election.
” I am happy with the confidence Rwandans have shown in me. I will always serve them as long as I can. Yes, I am indeed a candidate.”
President Kagame told the French-language magazine Jeune Afrique in September 2023.
Kagame is reprinting the ruling party, Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) as he was re-elected as the party ‘s chairperson in April, at the 16th National congress.
Another candidate who has announced readiness to run for the election is Dr Frank Habineza, who represents the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda.
