THE Electoral Commission of Rwanda Football Federation (Ferwafa) has set the new date for presidential elections of the local football governing on March 31.

The president of the commission, Adolphe Kalisa, said they will receive nomination forms on February 19, vet them on February 28 before publishing the list of candidates on March 9.

Campaigning will not start until March 12, officials said.

The development follows the failure on December 30, 2017 by the federation’s general assembly to vote in a new president in a dramatic election in which the sole aspirant, Felicite Rwemalika, failed to garner enough votes that would have made her the first woman to lead Ferwafa.

Rwemalika, who serves as the vice president of Rwanda National Olympic and Sports Committee, collected 13 out of 52 votes with 39 votes announced as invalid.

She needed at least 27 votes to replace incumbent Vincent Nzamwita who had pulled out of the race moments before the poll, according to the election commission.

Nzamwita has been at the helm of Ferwafa since 2014.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw