Rwandans are gearing up for the general elections on Monday, July 15, with those in the diaspora having begun casting their ballots as early as midnight on Sunday.
The presidential race is not the only contest on the Election Day ballots; in addition to choosing a head of state, Rwandans will also vote for parliamentary candidates.
In the presidential race, voters will select from three candidates: Paul Kagame of the RPF-Inkotanyi, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana.
Meanwhile, 589 candidates compete for 80 seats in the Chamber of Deputies. With over nine million Rwandans registered to vote, including two million first-time voters, the turnout is expected to be significant.
The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has established approximately 2,600 polling stations, including 160 stations for Rwandans living abroad.
On Tuesday, representatives for special groups such as women, youth, and people with disabilities will be elected by the electoral colleges.
To ensure that election day proceeds smoothly, NEC has trained and deployed over 100,000 volunteers.
These volunteers will operate at various levels, from the provincial to the sectoral, playing a crucial role in the election process. Additionally, the NEC has accredited more than 1,000 local and foreign election observers.
On Sunday, June 14, 776 observers from Rwanda and 334 from foreign countries had been accredited.
The foreign observers represent a variety of regional and international organizations, including the African Union, European Union, East African Community, Commonwealth, International Organisation of the Francophonie, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, Economic Community of Central African States, and friendly countries.
Polling stations will open at 7 AM and close at 3 PM, with vote counting beginning immediately after.
According to Oda Gasinzigwa, NEC Chairperson, partial results of the presidential election will be announced on Monday night, with provisional results scheduled to be announced on July 20. The final results will be made public on July 27.
