Rwandan President Kagame wins in landslide reelection
By ASSOCIATED PRESS, JPOST.COM STAFF
Rwandan President Paul Kagame Tuesday declared a landslide victory in the country's presidential elections as all the votes were tallied, dancing with thousands of supporters in a celebration.Kagame is considered by many donors and investors to be a visionary leader and an African icon, according to Reuters, and Rwanda has been a rising star in Africa since he swept to power after the 1994 genocide with 95 percent of the vote.Some claims of corruption dogged Monday's vote, with opposition parties banned from the vote and some Rwandans having said they were forced to cast ballots for him. While Kagame faced three opponents on the ballot, analysts said none of the three presented any real competition.Human rights groups and other critics also had decried the arrest of several opposition figures in the lead-up to Monday's election, and noted that several others were killed or attacked under suspicious circumstances. The Rwandan government has denied any involvement in the attacks.Tens of thousands of supporters celebrated Kagame's victory at the national sports stadium late Monday and early Tuesday. Kagame joined in the festivities, dancing on stage as bands belted out music. Preliminarily results were announced around 4 a.m. local time.Monday's presidential election was Rwanda's second since the 1994 genocide, when at least half a million people — mostly Tutsis and moderate Hutus — were killed.
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