President Paul Kagame, the Chairman and flagbearer of the governing RPF-Inkotanyi, will on Saturday, June 22, start canvassing for votes for himself and for the RPF parliamentary candidates ahead of next month’s presidential and legislative elections.
Rwandans will go to the polls from July 14-15 to pick the next Head of State and members of the Chamber of Deputies, the country's Lower House, according to the National Electoral Commission (NEC).
Kagame and his RPF party, along with a group of allied parties, will launch their campaigns in Musanze District, setting in motion a three-week campaign trail.
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Speaking about the ongoing preparations and the journey to the campaign trail, RPF Secretary General, Wellars Gasamagera, said the party was optimistic ahead of the campaign trail, noting that their presidential candidate will be "more than ready” to unveil the party's manifesto to the country.
"Starting tomorrow, we will have a total of 19 campaign sites where our presidential candidate will meet face-to-face with the population in the course of this (three-week) exercise.”
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He added; "At all the sites we will be presenting our candidates with our eight coalition partners, and each of us will have a chance to address the public at our rallies.”
The RPF-led coalition has endorsed President Kagame as its flagbearer in the elections, paving the way for a transition from a seven-year to a five-year presidency cycle. However, some of the coalition partners have fielded their own candidates for parliament.
"Following the revision of our constitution which allows for synchronization of presidential and parliamentary elections, we will also have our parliamentary candidates campaigning around the country,” Gasamagera said.
Pressed for details on the RPF manifesto, Gasamagera was quick to point out that incumbent President Kagame will share the party’s manifesto, when the campaigns officially begin.
Kagame will be vying for the president, along with two challengers; Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate.
The RPF-led coalition will launch its presidential campaign at the University of Rwanda’s campus in Busogo in Musanze, Northern Province.
The coalition has 80 parliamentary candidates, the majority of whom are RPF members.