Rwanda’s President Kagame Announces Fourth-Term Bid, Pledges to Serve as Long as Rwandans Desire.
Rwanda’s long-standing leader, President Paul Kagame, has officially confirmed his intention to seek a fourth term in the upcoming presidential elections next year. If successful, this bid would extend his presidency to nearly three decades, marking a significant political development in the nation.
In an interview with French-language magazine Jeune Afrique, President Kagame expressed his contentment with the confidence Rwandans have placed in his leadership. Despite criticism from rights groups alleging a crackdown on the opposition, Kagame emphasized that external opinions did not deter him.
The last presidential election in 2017 saw Mr. Kagame secure nearly 99%犀利士 of the vote, an outcome contested by rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW), citing limited free speech conditions at the time.
During the magazine interview, President Kagame articulated his willingness to continue serving as long as Rwandans desired his leadership. While he had hinted at the possibility of running for re-election previously, this marks the first time he categorically states his candidacy for the August 2024 polls.
President Kagame has been a dominant figure in Rwandan politics since his rebel group, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), assumed power at the end of the genocide. He officially became president in 2000 following the resignation of Pasteur Bizimungu.
Rwanda’s political landscape underwent changes in 2015 when a controversial referendum amended the constitution. The amendments, approved with 98% support, allowed the president to seek a third seven-year term and then serve two additional five-year terms, starting in 2024.
In response to potential Western reactions to his decision to run again, Mr. Kagame remarked that the opinions of foreign countries were not a concern, emphasizing that he no longer understood what corresponded to Western values. He questioned the concept of democracy being dictated to others and stressed that people should be allowed to organize themselves independently.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has previously raised concerns about political opposition in Rwanda, describing it as a perilous endeavor. Prominent opposition figures have faced attacks, and some have been killed while in exile.
President Kagame has consistently defended Rwanda’s human rights record, asserting that the country respects political freedoms and democratic principles.
