The leaders of political parties have welcomed results from Monday’s general polls where 53 Members of Parliament were elected to the next August House. On Tuesday, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) released provisional results from this week’s election, which saw the governing RPF-Inkotanyi take most seats of the 53 that are openly contested for. RPF-Inkotanyi, with its coalition political parties, won 40 seats in the House after garnering 74 per cent of the votes from 6.6 million Rwandans who took part in the direct vote on Sunday and Monday. The turn-out for the direct poll was 93 per cent, given that 7.2 million Rwandans had registered to vote, NEC said. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Liberal Party (PL) obtained five seats and four seats, respectively. Both the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and PS-Imberakuri secured two seats each after they got 5 per cent of the votes each. None of the four independent candidates who contested in the open election could get a seat as they didn’t secure enough votes. Leaders of all the political parties that obtained seats in the House have welcomed the results, explaining that it was peaceful and that the outcome reflected the will of the people. RPF-Inkotanyi campaign spokesperson, Wellars Gasamagera, told The New Times that his party’s win reflects the will of the people. “We thank our voters for the choice they have made and we assure them that we will implement the pledges that were made by our party Chairman, and the party as a whole,” he said. RPF’s manifesto in the just-concluded election was the same as the one that President Kagame, Chairman of the RPF-Inkotanyi, presented to Rwandans last year when he was re-elected as president of the republic in a landlide victory. It puts emphasis on strengthening the country’s economy, social welfare, and good governance as well as justice in the next seven years. PSD’s first vice-president, Olivier Nduhungirehe, also welcomed the election outcome, saying it demonstrated the country’s continued democratic progress. Nduhungirehe said that his party is satisfied with the poll results even though they lost two seats. “We take the results positively because we remain the second largest party in Rwanda even if we are two seats down from the last Parliament. We are happy that we are still in Parliament,” he said in an interview yesterday. He added that the party’s lawmakers will help implement government’s development programmes in the spirit of consensual democracy that they are part of. PL’s president, Donatille Mukabalisa, told The New Times that that her party welcomed the election outcome, explaining that it reflects people’s choice. She said that although her party had wished to secure more seats in the House, they are still happy with the four seats they secured. It is the first time Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and PS-Imberakuri have secured seats in parliament. The Greens’ president, Dr Frank Habineza, said that securing seats in Parliament will help his party to promote democratisation in the country. “This is a step forward, we expected more seats but are still glad that at least we secured two. We promise to work with other members to represent Rwandans well,” he said. PS-Imberakuri’s chairperson, Christine Mukabunani, congratulated Rwandans for holding a peaceful election. “We are happy and our thanks go to Rwandans who voted for us and the public in general. Thanks to all that had a role in the peaceful campaign that we had, the security organs, local authorities and the national leadership; we could not have gotten votes without the unfettered access we had to the electorate,” she told The New Times. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
