President Paul Kagame won 99% of the votes in Rwanda’s recent presidential election, according to provisional results.
His two opponents, Frank Habineza and Philippe Mpayimana, collectively received less than 1% of the votes.
Kagame, 64, has been in power since the end of the 1994 genocide and ran almost unopposed this time, with two major critics barred from running.
Despite criticism of being an authoritarian, Kagame is also praised for Rwanda’s economic growth over the past three decades.
In 2015, Rwandans voted to remove the two-term presidential limit, potentially allowing Kagame to remain in power until 2034.
Kagame claims his mandate is from the people, as both his party and the public urged him to run again.
Meanwhile, human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have raised concerns about Rwanda’s restrictive political climate. They report threats, arbitrary detentions, prosecutions on false charges, killings, and disappearances of political opponents.
Final election results are expected by July 27, but may be announced sooner.
