Rwanda’s ruling party was set to win three-quarters of directly elected parliamentary seats in this week’s poll, provisional results showed on Tuesday. Long-time ruler President Paul Kagame’s Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and its seven smaller allied parties, had 75% of the votes after Monday’s election, with 70% of ballots counted. Final results are not due until 16 September. Parties were vying for 53 of the country’s 80 directly elected parliamentary seats of which 24 are reserved for women, two for youth and one for the disabled, all chosen by special councils and national committees.
Instead of voting for individual lawmakers, Rwandans vote for a party which then decides the candidates to enter parliament.
To win at least one seat, a party has to get at least five percent of the total votes cast.
Once again the country’s only critical opposition, the Green Party, appeared unlikely to win a single parliamentary seat after taking just 4.5% of the vote, according to preliminary results.
Full Article: Ruling party to sweep Rwanda parliament poll | News24.
