Paul Kagame Wins Rwanda’s Election Again by 99% 

Rwandan President Paul Kagame prepared for a fourth term on Tuesday after securing a decisive 99.15 percent of the vote in an election with only two opponents.

The result of Monday’s election was expected, as Kagame has governed Rwanda with strict control for nearly thirty years, first as de facto leader and then as president.

Partial results from the election commission, released seven hours after polls closed, indicated Kagame had won 99.15 percent of the vote, surpassing the 98.79 percent he received in the previous election seven years ago.

Democratic Green Party candidate Frank Habineza could only muster 0.53 percent and independent Philippe Mpayimana 0.32 percent, according to the results issued with 79 percent of ballots counted.

In an address from the headquarters of his ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), the 66-year-old thanked Rwandans for giving him another five years in office.

“The results that have been presented indicate a very high score, these are not just figures, even if it was 100 percent, these are not just numbers,” he said.

“These figures show the trust, and that is what is most important,” he added. “I am hopeful that together we can solve all problems.”

With 65 percent of the population aged under 30, Kagame is the only leader most Rwandans have ever known.

The 66-year-old leader, known for wearing glasses, is praised for rebuilding Rwanda after the 1994 genocide but is also criticized for governing through fear domestically and causing instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Over nine million Rwandans, including about two million first-time voters, were registered to vote in the presidential election, which was held concurrently with legislative elections for the first time.

He has overseen controversial constitutional amendments that shortened presidential terms from seven to five years and reset the clock for the Rwandan leader, allowing him to potentially rule until 2034.