በቀላሉ የመሥሪያ ማገናኛዎች

Rwanda's Kagame Wins 93 Percent of Vote in Re-election Bid


Paul Kagame thanked thousands of supporters in Kigali's main football stadium, after release of preliminary results

Rwanda's electoral commission says President Paul Kagame has won 93 percent of the vote in Monday's election to secure a second term.

The commission released the results Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Mr. Kagame danced on stage and thanked thousands of supporters in Kigali's main football stadium, after preliminary results gave him an overwhelming lead.

Mr. Kagame faced three candidates who all have ties to his ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front.

His opponents had denounced the campaign as a "sham." Human rights groups say real opposition groups were barred from fielding candidates.

President Kagame has effectively ruled Rwanda since his RPF ended the country's 1994 genocide, in which Hutu extremists killed an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

He has been praised at home and abroad for stabilizing the country, rebuilding its economy and promoting women's rights. However, rights groups say his government has instituted a climate of repression.

Mr. Kagame and his party won the last poll in 2003, taking 95 percent of the vote.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

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