Rwanda's President Paul Kagame has scored a crushing election victory that will extend his rule by another five years, according to partial results issued on Monday.
De facto leader since the end of the 1994 genocide and president since 2000, Kagame scored 99.15% of the vote, the National Election Commission announced after 79% of ballots had been counted.
It tops the 98.79% Kagame won in the last election in 2017 and puts him streets ahead of the only two candidates authorised to run against him.
Democratic Green Party candidate Frank Habineza scraped 0.53% of the vote and independent Philippe Mpayimana 0.32%.
Address
The outcome of Monday's poll was never in doubt, with Kagame's administration accused of muzzling political opposition, and several prominent critics barred from the race.
Soon after the partial results were announced, giving Kagame a fourth term, he thanked Rwandans in an address from the headquarters of his ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).
"The results that have been presented indicate a very high score, these are not just figures, even if it was 100 percent, these are not just numbers," he said.
"These figures show the trust, and that is what is most important," he added. "I am hopeful that together we can solve all problems."
Credited
Full provisional results are due by July 20 and definitive results by July 27.
With 65% of the population aged under 30, Kagame is the only leader most Rwandans have ever known.
The 66-year-old is credited with rebuilding a traumatised nation after the genocide but he is also accused of ruling in a climate of fear at home.
Over nine million Rwandans – about two million first-time voters – were registered to cast their ballot, with the presidential race being held at the same time as legislative elections for the first time.
'Gives us everything'
"(Kagame) gives us everything we ask him, such as health insurance. This is why he wins by a big margin," said 34-year-old mechanic Francois Rwabakina.
Kagame won with more than 93% of the vote in 2003, 2010 and in 2017, when he again easily defeated the same two challengers.
In the parliamentary election, 589 candidates were chasing 80 seats, including 53 elected by universal suffrage.
In the outgoing assembly, Kagame's RPF party held 40 seats and its allies 11, while Habineza's party had two. Another 27 spots are reserved for women, the youth and people with disabilities.
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