The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has opened applications for candidates seeking to fill the parliamentary seat for representing the youth following the resignation of Venuste Icyitegetse. In a notice issued on Tuesday, August 4, NEC said the vacancy arose after Icyitegetse resigned from the Chamber of Deputies. ALSO READ: MP Venuste Icyitegetse resigns His resignation was communicated by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies in a letter dated June 11. Icyitegetse, who was on the Parliamentary Committee of State Budget and Patrimony, had been elected in July 2024 as one of two youth representatives in the 80-member Lower House. ALSO READ: Parliamentary elections: 28 submit candidatures on day one Under the electoral law, NEC is responsible for organising the process to replace an MP who was not elected from a political party or coalition list. The commission said applicants must be Rwandan citizens aged between 21 and 30, persons of integrity, and meet the legal requirements to contest for the seat. Candidates are required to submit an application letter, a curriculum vita, a copy of their national identity card, a birth certificate, a certificate of good conduct, two passport-size colour photographs, a criminal record certificate, a medical certificate, and a signed declaration confirming the authenticity of the information provided. Applications will be received at NEC headquarters from August 10 to August 14, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. According to the election timetable, the provisional list of approved candidates will be published on August 17, while the final list will be released on August 25. Campaigning and the election to fill the youth representative seat in the Chamber of Deputies will take place on September 2. Provisional results will be announced the same day, while final results are scheduled for September 9.
