The National Electoral Commission (NEC) on Thursday, April 9 confirmed Deogratias Minani Bizimana as MP designate to replace Jean Chrysostome Ngabitsinze who was appointed as Minister of State in the Ministry Of Agriculture and Animal Resources last month.

The parliamentary position had initially gone to Epimaque Minani but he declined it due to personal reasons.

A statement issued by NEC indicates that Bizimana was next in line on the list of candidates that the Social Democratic Party (PSD) submitted to NEC during the 2018 parliamentary elections.

Bizimana, 49, was born in Nzahaha sector, Rusizi district. He studied at Rwinzuki primary school before going to DRC for High school.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rwanda in banking and a postgraduate degree in Economics.

The new MP designate worked in CIMERWA from 1998-2004 and was also in charge of scholarships at the Rwanda Education Board.

In 2013, he was the president of the Social Democratic Party in Rusizi district.

Prior to that, he was a financial analyst at the Rwanda Cooperatives from 2010.