In these elections, everyone is a winner

All roads lead to the polling stations today all over the country although those in the Diaspora did so yesterday. It has been a very exciting three weeks of campaigns with RPF-Inkotanyi supporters by far the most visible, colourful and above, most confident of victory. As usual the electoral machine ran like clockwork. All polling materials were at the venues on time. It was a logistical non-brainer because of the advance planning. But what is most outstanding at nearly all the polling stations is the work that was put in decorating them. In some, they could be mistaken for wedding receptions because of the elaborate and colourful decorations. In fact each polling station was trying to outdo the others. It was a far cry from the negative narrative by some members of the foreign press who have been peddling falsehoods of a “climate of fear” which Rwandans have turned around and coined a “climate of cheer”. Today, Rwandans should continue to confound the world and the biased narratives out there by conducting their elections in the usual cool and collected manner. Many foreigners will continue to wrestle with how there are no stone-throwing incidents as is often witnessed elsewhere, no violent outbursts of anger and divisionism. Definitely there will be losers. Let us just hope there will be no sore losers but acceptance of defeat with humility. After all, it is the will of the people that will be expressed, so losers should be able to move on.

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In these elections, everyone is a winner