Political parties forum lauds peaceful polls

The National Consultative Forum of Political Organizations (NFPO) has praised Rwandans for participating massively in the just concluded presidential election as well as helping maintain a peaceful atmosphere throughout the entire process.

Saturday, August 05, 2017
Oswald Burasanzwe (L), the National Political Parties forum observers' spokesperson. / File

The National Consultative Forum of Political Organizations (NFPO) has praised Rwandans for participating massively in the just concluded presidential election as well as helping maintain a peaceful atmosphere throughout the entire process.

The forum says it dispatched 100 observers to all of the country’s districts.  

"Regarding preparation of the presidential elections, observers of the National Consultative Forum of Political Organisations praise in general the manner in which it was prepared, especially with regards to organizing all polling sites,” Oswald Burasanzwe, the NFPO observers’ spokesperson told The New Times.

He said all polling voting arrived at polling posts on time and all were in the right place before the actual voting begun.

"Observers found that citizens were given prior instructions on how an election is conducted and were equally well mobilized to partake in the poll, because nearly all voters finished casting their vote earlier than the set time.”

Voters cast their vote in a free and transparent atmosphere and laws governing elections and the guidelines of the National Electoral Commission were respected, the forum says. The closing time (15hrs00) for voting and starting the counting of votes was also respected at all polling stations.

According to the forum, vote tallying and consolidation was done transparently after the election and was closely monitored by presidential candidates’ representatives and any other people who wanted to, including the various local and international observers.

"The National Consultative Forum of Political Organizations thanks citizens for their high participation in the just concluded election, and takes this opportunity to thank the National Electoral Commission, other national authorities and security services because of the calm and freedom during the presidential election.”

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