Polling stations across Rwanda opened at 5:00 UTC on July 15th, 2024, for both presidential and legislative elections. This could be a momentous occasion in history, as President Paul Kagame is going to contest his fourth consecutive term in office since he first came to power in 2000. An estimated nine million Rwandans are due to vote.
In the Nyamirambo district of Kigali, a significant polling station was filled, with more than a hundred people lining up by 6:30 in the morning. RFI’s special correspondent Liza Fabbian reports from there that volunteers from the Rwandan Electoral Commission, attired uniformly in white T-shirts and black pants, took their oaths and organized themselves in the nineteen classrooms arranged for voting.
Like many others across the country, this polling station was decorated with colours of the Rwandan flag over the weekend, fitted with traditional baskets and objects placed at the entrance to usher in voters. This year’s election is special, with both the legislative and presidential votes being combined into one day. That decision was taken last year, primarily to save public funds.
In Rubavu, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, voters began to arrive at their polling station before 7 a.m. Special correspondent Lucie Mouillaud said volunteers presented and sealed empty ballot boxes before welcoming early voters. The atmosphere was festive with music playing in the schoolyard as queues formed.
Inside each polling room, there were two sibylline booths draped in the blue, yellow, and green of the Rwandan flag. The voters first voted in the presidential vote, then in the legislative votes, which are proportional representation.
In Goma, a lot of voters came out early to cast their ballot before work started. The usually busy border post opened calmly at 6 a.m. while many residents chose to vote first. For local traders, crossing early on this day is important since the border closes from 3 pm. This decision by Congolese authorities was taken two years ago in the light of the security crisis that North Kivu plunged into with the emergence of the M23 rebel group.
This has hit hard on the economy of Rubavu. Many voters expressed hopes for improved relations between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo and a return to more flexible border crossing regulations.
Rwandans go to polls today to vote in presidential and legislative elections. President Paul Kagame has been in power for 24 years and says he is standing for a fourth term against two challengers: Frank Habineza, a Green Party MP, and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate.