Diaspora voters turn up in big numbers

Rwandans living abroad turned up in big numbers to participate in constitutional referendum on Thursday. From Rabat in Morocco and Nairobi in Kenya to Brussels in Belgium and Geneva in Switzerland, the turnout was impressive, according to electoral officials. On Thursday, elections were conducted in all 32 Rwandan diplomatic missions abroad except in conflict-torn Burundi, where the polls were cancelled because of security concerns. More than 40,000 Rwandans in the Diaspora were expected to vote. Amb. Dr Francois Ngarambe, Rwanda’s envoy to Switzerland and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, World Trade Organisation and other International Organisations in Geneva, tweeted that the poll there was attended by many people and was peaceful. In Senegal, Yvette Rugasaguhunga, a Rwandan official at the Rwandan embassy there, told Saturday Times that at the Rwandan embassy in the Aux Almadies area of Dakar city, 73 Rwandans who have lived abroad for decades got their first ever opportunity to cast their votes. Some, including a man from neighbouring Mali, she said, postponed important business trips just to come to the embassy and vote. The Rwandan embassy in Dakar also organised elections in Rabat, Morocco. In Nairobi, the Rwandan High Commission there said Rwandans living in Nairobi turned up in big numbers to cast their vote. At a polling station in the coastal city of Mombasa too, Rwandans turned up to vote. A member of Diaspora casts her vote at polling station in Dakar, Senegal. (Courtesy) In Ankara, Turkey, a Rwandan embassy official, Joel Uwizeye, told Saturday Times that the poll went well there too with many people participating. There were seven polling stations, he said, “because this country is very big.” “About 200 people voted in Turkey and in all stations the exercise is almost finished. We have some Rwandans who are in Turkey for different purposes like business who have voted here,” he said. Charles Munyaneza, the executive secretary of the National Electoral Commission, earlier said final results are expected to be announced before Monday. 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 revises the mandates of senators, and the president and vice president of the Supreme Court. 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. The referendum follows petitions to Parliament from close to four million Rwandans in the past few months to change the Constitution. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Diaspora voters turn up in big numbers