Rwandan President Paul Kagame broke his own record by winning Monday’s election with more than 99 percent of the vote, according to full provisional results.
The 66-year-old won the 2017 election with 98.63% of the vote, more than the 93% he got in 2010 and the 95% in 2003.
His critics say Mr Kagame’s resounding majorities come as no surprise since he rules with an iron fist.
However, his supporters say they point to his immense popularity, with Rwanda having achieved stability and economic growth under his rule.
Mr Kagame is a former rebel commander whose forces seized power in 1994, ending a genocide that killed an estimated 800,000 people in 100 days.
The electoral commission has banned at least three presidential candidates, including the president’s most vocal critics, from running.
He allowed two candidates – Frank Habineza of the Green Democratic Party and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent – to run against him.
They obtained 0.53% and 0.32% respectively, less than in the 2017 elections, when their combined vote exceeded the 1% mark.
The turnout was remarkably high – 98%, according to the electoral commission.
“Kagame’s unprecedented election score of over 99 percent must be seen as a reflection of the limited political space available to the opposition in Rwanda today,” said Clementine de Montjoye of the campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW), AFP news agency reported.
This outcome “does not bode well for anyone seeking to engage in legitimate and credible opposition activities,” she added.
But Mr Kagame’s victory was welcomed by neighbouring Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who said his re-election was a “testament to the confidence” Rwandans had in his leadership.
Although Rwanda continues to struggle with high rates of youth unemployment, it is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa.
During his election campaign, Mr Kagame promised to protect Rwanda from “any external aggression” amid tensions with neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.
