Over 5.4 million voters to participate in today’s polls

KIGALI - A total of 5,422, 740 voters are expected to take part in today’s local government elections, according to the National Electoral Commission (NEC). The final voters’ list follows modifications which saw Rwandans in the Diaspora who registered from their embassies or high commissions excluded from the list with regard to the policies governing these elections. Rwandans in Diaspora will not be participating in the polls.NEC has also cleared 984 observers for today’s elections of councilors at sector level. The elected councilors will, on Friday, February 25, go on to vote district leaders from the pool of councilors.The commission also called for cooperation between the observers and polling officials. The NEC Executive Secretary Charles Munyaneza, urged the observers to abstain from getting involved in the voting process. “Polling officials should give observers due cooperation but the observers should desist from intervening in the officials’ duties” cautioned Munyaneza. Observers were further advised not to demonstrate any kind of bias and resist announcing any unofficial results. Munyaneza assured that everything necessary for the exercise was set. “The budget mostly from the government is ready, and all required facilities including ballot boxes have been distributed to the stations. “Campaigns are going well, we have not received many cases of misconduct except for a candidate called Emmanuel Uwihoreye who was disqualified in Gisagara District following campaign misconduct,” he said. At least 2,498 candidates will be vying for councillorship throughout the country in today’s elections. Of these, 1473 (59 percent) are men and 10,225 (41 percent) are women. 2,272 polling centers with a total of 15,616 polling rooms are set for today’s exercise in which 72, 474 volunteers will participate. Ends