International observers of Rwanda's parliamentary election
are set to issue their verdict at a news conference today (Wednesday) in the
capital, Kigali. Results so far released by the electoral commission puts
President Paul Kagame's ruling Rwandan Patriotic Party (RPF) has taken a
commanding lead in the 53 member parliament. The results show the ruling party wining 42
of the 53 seats contested in Monday's direct voting, while the opposition
Social Democratic party took seven seats, and the
Liberal Party won four. But the
opposition parties are reportedly protesting that agents of the ruling party
intimidated supporters ahead of the parliamentary election.
Jean
Bosco Gasasira is the editor of the Umuvugizi independent newspaper. He tells
reporter Peter Clottey from the capital, Kigali that the verdict of the
international observers would have no impact on the election.
"The international observers
would be briefing the country and the international community about how the
election went today Wednesday, whether it was fair or unfair. So, far the
electoral observers have been silent on what has been happening, but we are
waiting for their press conference. So far the president of the electoral
commission says the ruling RPF is leading with 78% meaning that they have 42
seats out of the 53 in the parliament, the Social
Democratic party having 13% and the Liberal Party having seven point
five percent, which is equivalent to four seats in the Rwandan parliament, and
the independent candidate had zero,"
Gasasira noted.
He
said the verdict of the international observers would not have any significant
impact on the results of the parliamentary election.
"We
think the international observes' comment would not affect a lot because one of
their spokesmen, when the president of the electoral commission was announcing
the results of the election said that the electoral process was fair," he said.
Gasasira
said not all Rwandans are happy about the results of Monday's parliamentary
election.
"The
independent candidate complained to me during our discussion saying that the
results were really unfair because in the whole country he was said to have
received 26,000 votes, but he contends the results saying that in the capital,
Kigali he got 30,000. Other parties apart from the ruling RPF are really silent
about the results of the election, and in the northern part of the country
there were some complaints that some people were forced to go and vote for
another party against their will, which is contrary to democracy," Gasasira
pointed out.
He
said some Rwandans are skeptical about the credibility of the results of the
election.
"Although
on the surface everything seems to be very calm, but the most intriguing thing
is that the results were reportedly pre-determined. So, according to what the
president of the electoral commission announced, some are of the opinion that
the results were cooked for the ruling RPF party… they predetermined what the
RPF is going to have and what other parties are going to get in the election
because of the ruling party's control and influence," he said.
Gasasira
said the media didn't raise concerns expressed by opposition parties in the
just ended election after the president of the electoral commission finished
announcing the results of the election.
"After
the announcement of the results of the election, journalists were quiet. The
president of the commission asked the journalists and observers who were there
if they had any questions, but they were silent on the matter. But the
president of the commission emphasized that the results are all provisional
because they were waiting for the results from observes from United States,
United Kingdom and Canada and the region adding that their verdict would not
have an impact on the results," Gasasira said.