600 observers for referendum polls

More than 600 election observers are ready to monitor proceedings during the national referendum set for today, Charles Munyaneza, the executive secretary of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), said yesterday. Munyaneza said 620 election observers from civil society groups, the political parties’ forum, National Human Rights Commission, and the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), among others, were ready. Others are foreign diplomatic missions based in the country. “Provisional results will be released on Friday night while final results are expected to be announced before Monday,” he said. Yesterday, elections were underway in all 32 Rwandan diplomatic missions abroad except in Burundi where the polls were cancelled because of security concerns. More than 40,000 Rwandans in the Diaspora were expected to vote. The referendum is about approving or rejecting a revised constitution that gives President Kagame a chance to bid for another term in office when the current ends in 2017, as well as review the mandates of senators, and the president and vice president of the Supreme Court. More than 68,000 election volunteers are expected to assist the electoral commission in the process where at least 6.4 million people have registered to vote. According to NEC, all the necessary voting materials, including ballot papers, are already available at polling stations, which will open from 7am and close at 3pm. The official Twitter account of the Ministry of Public Service and Labour, yesterday, said, “Employers in public and private institutions are requested to facilitate workers to vote.” For the Constitution to be approved, there will have to be an absolute majority, which is 50 per cent plus-one vote in favour of the ‘YES’ vote. This referendum follows petitions to Parliament from close to four million Rwandans in the past few months to change the constitution. editorial@newtimees.co.rw

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600 observers for referendum polls