KAGAME WINS WITH 93% LEAD

IT is now official, President Paul Kagame, the RPF Inkotanyi candidate in the just concluded Rwanda presidential race, has been declared the winner with a 93.08% lead over his three challengers. The figure is an overwhelm wide margin by far, compared to Kagame’s rivals but a slight fall in his win of 2003. He scooped 4,638,560 of the 5,490,302 votes cast on the 9th of Aug 2010. Some 5,178,492 voters had registered earlier for the historic poll00. The National Electoral Commission (NEC) declared Kagame the winner today, two days after consolidating the national vote tally, commission chairman, Prof. Chryslogue Karangwa said. Kagame polled 4,638,560 votes, representing 93.08% of the total national tally while his closest challenger, deputy parliament speaker, Dr. Jean Damascene Ntawukuliryayo (PSD) came second with 5.15% (256,488 votes). The two others, Prosper Higiro (Liberal Party) and Dr. Alvera Mukabaramba received 68,235 and 20,107 votes each, representing 1.37% and 0.40%, respectively. Prof. Karangwa told reporters that his commission had released the results within the provided time frame and that the different domestic election laws empowered him to declare the results. "Based on those electoral laws, the board of directors of NEC declares Paul Kagame the President of our country for the next seven years," he said, reading from a statement he said had been endorsed by six other commissioners. The meeting was also attended by representatives of different observer groups as well as the local, regional and international media. Prof. Karangwa said voter turn-up was high at 97.51%, although 68,685 votes were invalidated, representing 1.36 percent On average, Kagame scored between 93% and 96% in provincial tallies. Some 21,717 Diaspora voters had registered to vote although 15,517 did actually vote. The election chief said some 65, 014 support staff and volunteers helped to organize and manage the elections. There were 2,273 polling centres countrywide and 15,507 polling stations. “In the Diaspora, we had 23 polling centres and 73 polling stations overall. We spent Frw. 8.5 billion for the entire process,� he explained. A total of 1,444 local and international observers were in the country to oversee the process, while some 355 journalists covered the event, 239 of them international correspondents. “I am happy about the outcome of this election and I’d like to thank all stakeholders who prepared and participated in the management of the polls,� said Karangwa. NEC chairman forwarded the results to the Supreme court which will validate and approve the final results

KAGAME IN LANDSLIDE LEAD

RPF Inkotanyi candidate, Paul Kagame, has taken an early lead in Rwanda's presidential elections, with provisional results from 11 districts showing him in the lead by 92.9% of the votes counted so far. By early Tuesday morning when the first results trickled in, Kagame had garnered 1,610,422 of the 1,734,671 votes. Results from the remaining 19 districts are expected to be announced at the earliest. The results also showed Kagame’s closest rivals with weak, utterly unmatched performance. Parliament deputy speaker, Dr. Jean Damascene Ntawukuliryaro, polled 85,617 votes, representing a 4.5% while Mr. Prosper Higiro and Dr. Alvera Mukabaranga, the only female contender could only manage to get 16,307 (1.5%) and 13,129 votes (0.7%), respectively. “In my view, this is an indication of how all the results may shape up,� Prof. Chrysolgue Karangwa, the national electoral commission chairman, said. The Amahoro national stadium, where thousands of Kagame supporters had camped, immediately exploded into round after round of wild jubilation after the results were announced. Kagame later told the mammoth crowd he was grateful for the faith and trust the country has put in him. He also praised the way the election campaigns were held, saying it showed Rwandans are democratically mature. Shortly after the announcement, Dr. Vincent Biruta, president of the Social Democratyic Party (PSD), for which Dr. Ntawukuliryayo represents, appeared on national TV and congratulated Kagame. “Clearly, Kagame has won, regardless of what comes out of the remaining districts. I congratulate him,� he said. Kagame also took an unmatched lead in the Diaspora vote. Electoral officials announced a 96.7% lead margin but results from Japan, China, Sudan and South Korea were yet to come in. Over 20,000 Rwandans in over 25 countries took part in the vote, although polling stations in only 21 countries have sent in their tally. By 7.00 am on Tuesday morning, enthusiastic fans, mainly youths, were still emerging from Amahoro stadium, where an estimated 40,000 people camped the previous night, waiting for the results. Kagame, accompanied by the First Family, was feted to entertainment by various artists who mainly played RPF campaign songs praising their candidate. The First Family later took to the stage to dance the night away

 

A winning team is never changed

Should a winning team be changed? That was the question President Paul Kagame posed to residents of Gasiza in Rulindo District, where he took his re-election bid on the second day since the start of the presidential campaigns on Tuesday.

The RPF candidate is currently campaigning in the Northern Province after his inaugural campaign launch at Amahoro National Stadium in Kigali, on Tuesday.

"Do you want to change a winning team or its captain?" he asked an ecstatic crowd, which responded with "Niwowe gusa, tuzagutora ijana kw'ijana" (only you 100%).

Kagame, arrived to a tumultuous welcome by a seemingly well assembled crowd of party supporters, draped in party t-shirts, colored attire and paper caps. He made a round of the venue, greeting crowds and later briefly joined them in a dance on stage.

"The good thing about our party is that we even work with our opponents that we have defeated in elections. We never segregate," he said.

The Party candidate commended residents for working hard to bring security in the area, embracing development initiatives, averting malaria by sleeping in mosquito nets and good agricultural practices that have ensured sustained food security in the area.

"All this was due to the good leadership of the RPF. Now is the time to reflect on our achievements and what we want to achieve ahead," Kagame said.

"Whoever tells you they can deliver better than RPF that is a big lie and you know it." he added.

Earlier, the RPF candidate listened to testimonies by two men, Njirayonsa Jean Marie, a demobilized former soldier in the genocide government and Dukizimana Theodore, a youth entrepreneur.

Njirayonsa narrated how he was among the defeated ex-FAR soldiers that the RPF reintegrat into their ranks alongside many more of his colleagues. He said after being retired, he has since become a renown farmer, boasting of eight fresian cows, and a poultry farm with over 8,500 chicken. He said his practices have influenced his village into rearing chicken and that the entire village owns a whooping 35,000 chickens.

Dukizimana said he was rescued by RPF forces during the genocide and decided to go back to school. He obtained a government bursary, which enabled him to afford a university education.

Kagame later traveled to Gakenke in the afternoon and is expected today at Bulera and Nyabihu in Musanze district. On Friday, the President will be at Nyundo in Rubavu district.