On Thursday, May 30, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) concluded the process of receiving candidacies from aspirants for the presidency and for parliament in the July 2024 elections. Between May 31 and the start of the campaign period on June 22, there are important steps taking place in the election process. The campaign period will be closed on July 13. ALSO READ: Three months to elections; how are preparations going? A total of nine presidential aspirants, including seven independents and two from political organizations, submitted their candidatures. Political organisations submitted lists of up to 400 aspirants for parliamentary seats. The NEC has yet to announce the number of independent aspirants who submitted candidacies for parliamentary seats. The next step is for NEC to examine all documents submitted by the aspirants to ensure they met the necessary requirements. The preliminary list of nominated candidates will be announced on the commission's website on June 6, and the final list of candidates nominated for both presidency and parliamentary seats on June 14. ALSO READ: Elections: Who is eligible to vote, who is not? According to NEC, a candidate wishing to withdraw their candidacy shall notify the Chairperson of the Commission in writing before the final list of candidates is announced. If the withdrawal of candidacy occurs after the ballot paper has been released, the candidacy will remain valid, but the Commission shall inform voters by a notice posted in each polling room and by any other appropriate means of communication. The 2024 elections will take place from July 14-16. For Rwandans abroad, voting for the president and 53 members of parliament will take place on July 14. For Rwandans inside the country, voting for the president and 53 members of parliament will take place on July 15. On July 16, 24 female members of parliament will be elected by special organs, depending on the administrative structure. Voting for two members of parliament elected by the National Youth Council and one member of parliament elected by the National Council of Persons with Disabilities will also take place on July 16. The provisional results of the elections will be announced on July 20, while the final results will be announced on July 27.
