Closing the three-week-long campaign trail, Paul Kagame, the RPF-Inkotanyi Chairman and flagbearer in upcoming presidential elections, referred to Rwanda’s unity after the tragic history of divisionism, as a political phenomenon.

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This was at Gahanga site where RPF-Inkotanyi and its eight allied political parties held the final rally of the campaign trail on Saturday, July 13, before the July 14-16 parliamentary and presidential polls.

Dr Vincent Biruta, the Chairman of PSD, one of the allied political parties, said that their decision to ally with RPF is because their members commend the development strides achieved through good leadership based on unity and democracy.

"Supporting him [Kagame] is emphasizing the collaboration we have agreed to live by in our country in the politics of our development,” he said, adding that they are committed to supporting the development agenda of RPF-Inkotanyi over the next five years.

The campaign trail ended with a big crowd of nearly 500,000 RPF supporters, which Kagame said was clearly the right place to have the final rally and thanked them for turning up in big numbers –as was the case in all other venues.

He noted that the mass of supporters is a symbol of a reunited Rwanda and a country whose people have become one throughout the journey of 30 years with RPF at the forefront.

"This became a political phenomenon,” he said, adding that it has become a confusion for foreigners who speak ill of Rwanda, urging them to first understand the country truly before criticizing it.

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"We have reunited after many years of divisionism. This big number [of the crowd] and what brought it here, it means a common goal of Rwandans who came together to build their country, leaving no one behind.”

Again, he said, what demonstrates the unity is seeing political parties with different ideology joining RPF that also has its own ideological orientation, to work together.

Kagame pointed out the hypocrisy of countries with only two political parties that alternate in ruling that take a step to impose Africa and Rwanda to have as many political parties without limit.

"When it comes to Rwanda, the tragic history and the journey of the past 30 years, what caused that phenomenon is finding home-grown solutions within ourselves as Rwandans and it resulted in people thinking that we have not turned out to be the way they wanted us to be.”

In Rwanda, he added, "We made a choice to become who we want to be. It is not how anyone else wants us to be. It is not only I and RPF that understand it that way but also everyone –even those who are not members of RPF.”

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Kagame said that the journey of self-development of Rwandans without troubling others is obvious to everyone.

He noted that the journey after elections is about unity, continued development, security, and good leadership that is based on people’s choice through democracy, adding that the more the critics, the stronger Rwandans become.

"You, young people of Rwanda, educate yourself, work, align yourself with development and contribute to security, the rest is the benefits that reach everyone.”

The incumbent President said: "You can’t fake unity. You can’t fake excitement. You can’t fake a turn-up like this.”

In the presidential elections, Kagame is competing with former lawmaker Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate.

Up to 589 candidates are vying for 80 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.

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Rwandans in the diaspora will vote for the President and Members of Parliament on July 14, while polls in the country will open on July 15.

On July 16, representatives of special interest groups (women, youth and people with disabilities) will be elected by the electoral colleges.

In the country, polls will open at 7AM and close at 3PM, and the vote counting will begin after that.

Provisional results will be announced on July 20, while the final results will be made public on July 27.