The Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) primaries yesterday entered a crucial stage with the party electing district representatives for the parliamentary elections slated for September 2-3, 2018.
Members of the RPF committees picked four candidates from each of the 30 districts – 50/50 on gender – from the top 20 from the cell level.
The list of successful candidates in yesterday’s poll will be sent to the RPF Secretariat to decide on the final candidates from all districts who will be nominated for the September polls.
RPF will tussle it out with Social Democratic Party (PSD), PS Imberakuli, The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR), among others, in a contest for 53 parliamentary seats.
The general assembly of RPF at district level constituted the voters in yesterday’s exercise.
According to the constitution, all political parties compete for a total of 53 out of 80 seats in Parliament, while the remaining members are elected by electoral colleges that represent women, youth and the disabled for a five-year term.
In Gasabo, a total of 1,418 party members convened at Dove Hotel in Gisozi where elections started at 9:00 am and ended at 4:00 pm.
The election was conducted successfully despite 10 invalid votes where people wrongly wrote the names of the candidates.
Incumbent Cécile Murumunawabo got 1,180 votes to win the female candidate ticket. She was joined by Jeanne d’Arc Nyirasafari who got 431 votes. Théoneste Karenzi got 1,202 votes while Francis Karemera polled 1,193 votes.
The party’s chairperson for Gasabo, Stephen Rwamulangwa, congratulated the congress for discipline, showing transparency and democracy during the elections.
In Musanze District, 984 voters elected Winnifrida Mpembyemungu, the former Mayor of the district and Marie Thérèse Murekatete, the current Member of Parliament representing the District, who got 942 votes.
Diogène Silimu and Ephrem Munyandamutsa were the elected male candidates.
In Rulindo District, Jean Védaste Nzeyimana, Jean Marie Vianney Bikino, Christine Akimanimpaye and Alphonsine Murebwayire will represent the district.
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