Local gov’t elections were free and fair – RCSP report

The Rwanda Civil Society Platform (RCSP), yesterday, released its report on the February- March local leaders’ elections saying the exercise was free and fair. The report focuses on elections of leaders at Cell, Sector and District levels including youth, women and representatives of the disabled. Presenting the report, the Chief Observer of the Civil Society Election Observation Mission (CSEOM), Eugene Rwibasira, commended the National Electoral Commission (NEC) for its commitment. “The elections were conducted in a very conducive environment, the electoral law was observed and there was security which enabled a high turn out of voters,” Rwibasira said, The report also provides a number of recommendation that would further enhance the process. “Candidates should be given more time to campaign, qualifications for disabled to stand should be revised or lowered and elections should be held during holidays,” Rwibasira said, referring to the recommendations. He explained that in some areas, the education level required for candidates limited representatives of the diabled. The Public Relations Officer of RCSP, Edouard Munyamaliza, said that the CSEOM deployed 541 election observers countrywide. Ends