Rwanda forbids the opposition leader from running for the presidency

The primary opponent of Paul Kagame in the three-decade presidential race that is set to take place next month has been ruled unable to compete.

Diane Rwigara, the leader of the People Salvation Movement, who was also declared ineligible for office in 2017, declared her candidacy in May and submitted it this past week. Her name was not on the provisional list of candidates provided by the election commission on Thursday.

Rwanda forbids the opposition leader from running for the presidency — Diane Rwigara, the leader of the People Salvation Movement, who was also declared ineligible for office in 2017, declared her candidacy in May and submitted it this past week. Her name was not on the provisional list of candidates provided by the election commission on Thursday.

Rwigara expressed her disappointment on X, saying, “After all the time, work, and effort I put in, I am very disappointed to hear I am not on the list of presidential candidates.” Why won’t you let me run, Paul Kagame?

The electoral commission claims that she failed to submit the required criminal history disclosure and failed to gather the required 600 signatures from citizens endorsing her candidacy.

Only Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party and independent Philippe Mpayimana were allowed to run against Kagame.

The final candidate list is due June 14th, one month before the legislative and presidential votes on July 15th.

Allegations that Rwigara had forged supporter signatures on her application led to her disqualification from the 2017 competition. After being arrested for forgery and encouraging revolt, she was imprisoned for over a year.

Rwigara is the daughter of businessman Assinapol Rwigara, who was a significant contributor to Kagame’s ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front prior to his falling out with the party’s leaders.

Rwanda has been under Kagame’s de facto control since the 1994 massacre. Since taking office in 2000, he has won three elections with more than 90% of the vote. It’s widely expected that he will triumph once more in July.

He has been commended for steering the country toward economic change following the genocide, but he is also often attacked for his human rights violations and intolerance of the opposition.

Renowned opposition figures Bernard Ntaganda and Victoire Ingabire had previously had their applications to reverse previous convictions that effectively excluded them from office turned down by Rwandan courts prior to this year’s election.

More News Updates