Incumbent President Paul Kagame, Frank Habineza, and Philippe Mpayimana are the only candidates to run for President in the July polls, according to a final list published by the National Electoral Commission (NEC), on June 14. Kagame is the flag-bearer of the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi); Habineza is the Chairperson of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR); while Mpayimana is an independent candidate. ALSO READ: Kagame, Habineza, Mpayimana meet requirements to run for President - NEC The results are the same as the provisional list that NEC published on June 6, which showed that only the three candidates met the requirements to contest for the supreme position in the country’s leadership. Six presidential aspirants fell short of the requirements. ALSO READ: 2024 Elections: Rwanda’s nine presidential aspirants at a glance According to NEC, aspirants whose files had missing documents, had from June 7 to June 13 to complete them, before the publication of the final list. Overall, according to the law governing elections, documents that aspirants could submit within the provided for period include a birth certificate confirming that the candidate is of Rwandan nationality of origin issued by a competent authority, his or her declaration confirming that the candidate does not have any other nationality or has relinquished any other nationality he or she previously held, a copy of criminal record issued within the previous six months by competent national authority, and an asset declaration certificate issued if the candidate is among those subject to asset declaration. As a special requirement, independent aspirants had to provide a list of voters supporting his or her candidacy and containing a minimum of 600 voters registered on the voters’ register, including at least 12 persons in each district, and registered on the voters’ register of the district of issuance of their national identity cards. The list of those voters must indicate full names as indicated in the national identity card, the number of his or her national identity card and place of issue, place of residence, and his or her signature or fingerprint. Apart from Mpayimana, other independent aspirants (six) did not meet that requirement as of June 6. NEC indicated that aspirants could not fulfil that requirement after May 30, which was the deadline for submitting candidatures.
