Rwandan president to seek reelection for 4th term

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Rwandan President Paul Kagame said he will seek reelection for a fourth term in the presidential elections scheduled for August next year, regardless of the opinion of the West, a pan-African magazine reported Tuesday.

Kagame, who first became president in 2000, won the last election in August 2017 for a seven-year term with 98.63% of the vote, according to official figures.

He is eligible to seek reelection following a 2015 constitutional amendment that allowed him to run for three more terms.

The constitutional changes allowed Kagame to run for a 7-year third term in 2017. But reduced the presidential term limits to five years from 2024.

He was reelected as the chairperson of the ruling Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) with 99.8% in April this year.

Asked whether his party’s reelection meant that he would be their flag bearer next year, Kagame said: “I am happy with the confidence that the Rwandans have shown in me. I will always serve them, as much when I can. Yes, I am indeed a candidate.”

Responding to a question about potential concerns, especially from the West, if he sought reelection after more than two decades in power, Kagame said what Western powers think about democracy “is not our problem.”

“Seeking to transplant democracy to someone else is already a violation of democracy in itself,” he said.

“People are supposed to be independent and should be allowed to organize themselves as they wish,” Kagame added.

Louis Gitinywa, a Rwanda-based political analyst and constitutional lawyer said the announcement was “long overdue.”

“We knew it; I mean all the latest political actions and measures show that he will seek reelection! So I think there is nothing new here,” Gitinywa told Anadolu.

“The last appointments and changes made during the recent RPF political bureau congress was a clear indication that President Kagame will vie for a fourth term as the presidential office holder,” he added.