Kagame expects resounding victory in Rwanda’s presidential election
On Monday, Rwandans head to the polls to vote in presidential elections. Incumbent President Paul Kagame is expected to win by a landslide. Kagame is credited with bringing stability, development and economic prosperity to Rwanda following the 1994 genocide. While few expect violence on election day, Amnesty International says voters are casting their ballots in a climate of fear.
In the last few months, political opposition leaders have been attacked, including a senior member of the Democratic Green Party, who was found nearly beheaded. Some believe Kagame’s government responsible for ordering the attacks, though his administration has denied any involvement.
For a better understanding of the political climate in Rwanda, we talk with Stephen Kinzer, author of “A Thousand Hills: Rwanda’s Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It.” Will Ross, East Africa correspondent for the BBC reports from a polling station in Rwanda. He says that there were long lines, but that the system has been efficient.
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