04 August, 2017
He's our hero, through him we built this country from scratch.
TRT World's Ben Said has more.
Only the leader of the Green Party and an independent candidate have been cleared to stand against him, but neither is likely to poll more than a few percentage points, so Mr Kagame is expected to increase the 93...
President Kagame of Rwanda has told his countrymen to ignore foreign criticism of his rule as he headed for a landslide victory in an election from which all but two opponents were barred. "We only recently had a sustained period of peace", said Kayumba.
Some 6.9 million Rwandans have registered to vote in the poll, which pits Kagame, 59, against two little-known candidates seen as unlikely to pose any threat to his Rwandan Patriotic Front's tight control of the country. Though Kagame has popular support in the country, many have expressed discontent with what is widely considered a hamper on democracy on his part.
Last month, Amnesty International warned Rwanda's elections risk being held under "a climate of fear created by years of repression" due to alleged state intimidation of opposition.
Al Jazeera's Malcolm Webb, reporting from Kagali in Rwanda, said the early arrival of people to vote early was explained by the RPF as a testament to their popularity and "exceptional record in governance".
Kagame is recognised for his 17-year track record of economic growth, stability and development.
At Wednesday's rally, Kagame rejected accusations of "dictatorship" and said Rwandans were free to choose their leader.
"Whoever is elected president should commit to fundamental reforms to ensure the 2024 elections takes place in a context where the rights of freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are truly respected", she said.
