Rwanda President Kagame Says He’ll Seek Fourth Term in Next Year’s Elections
President Kagame Plans Fourth Term, Citing Rwandans’ Trust” Rwandan President Paul Kagame has confirmed his candidacy for a fourth term, expressing gratitude for the trust placed in him by Rwandans. The government decided to align parliamentary and presidential elections in August next year. Kagame, in power since 2000, oversaw controversial constitutional changes in 2015, extending his potential tenure to 2034. Despite winning elections with over 90 percent of the vote in 2003, 2010, and 2017, he faces criticism for stifling dissent and free speech. Notably, Paul Rusesabagina, a prominent Kagame critic, was sentenced to 25 years in jail on terrorism charges in 2021. He was released and flew to the United States in March after a presidential pardon.
In July, he shared a video message, stating that Rwandans felt like they couldn’t freely move around in their own country.
In 2023, Rwanda’s press freedom ranked 131st out of 180 countries, according to Reporters Without Borders.
Back in 2022, when asked if he would run for re-election, Kagame mentioned he might think about running for another two decades.
He explained in an interview with France 24 News that elections are about people making their choices.
When Kagame’s party, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, took control, he was just 36. They removed the extremist Hutu group responsible for the genocide, which took place between April and July 1994, resulting in the tragic loss of around 800,000 lives, mainly Tutsi but also moderate Hutus.
SOURCE: FRANCE 24