For the first time over the last 24 years, two opposition parties have also entered the parliament.
They are Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) and PS-Imberakuri. Each has secured two seats after winning 5% ballots as the minimum Constitutional requirement for a party or independent candidate to have a seat.
It is also the first time that 53 seats contested for in the general elections are shared among all 11 parties in Rwanda.
The preliminary results announced Tuesday indicated that the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) and allied six parties won 74% equivalent to 40 seats.
Six parties in the RPF-led coalition have therefore shared 20 seats as RPF also takes 20. The six are PDI, PSR, PDC, PPC, UDPR and PSP.
The National Electoral Commission (NEC) announced that Liberal Party (PL) and Social Democratic Party (PSD) respectively won 9% and 7% equivalent to five and four seats.
Nobody of the four independent candidates won a seat. They all scored below 1% including the last year’s presidential elections, Philippe Mpayimana, who lost to then RPF candidate Paul Kagame.
Though RPF maintains absolute majority with 40 seats, it has lost one seat compared to immediate last term. PSD and PL have also lost two and one respectively.
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RPF electoral commissioner and spokesperson, Wellars Gasamagera told IGIHE Wednesday that the party is contented with the results.
“We are happy that voters have made their choice. We needed absolute majority and we have achieved that. We thank Rwandans who have again placed trust in us,’ he said.
PSD president Dr Vincent Biruta shared similar contentment over the results despite the party’s loss of two seats.
“We have no worries because it usually happens to have more or fewer seats in all elections. We shall examine our loss but it is even general as other parties have also lost seats. It is because new parties have ascended into the House,” he said.
Biruta said that new parties entry cements the openness of political space.
DGPR president Dr Frank Habineza said he is delighted to see his party enter the parliament.
DGPR was founded in 2009 but was allegedly denied to contest in 2013 legislative elections. DGPR’s Habineza contested for the presidency last year but lost with 0.48% votes.
Habineza said that his party is going to advocate on different issues as it pledged during the campaign.
“These elections take Rwanda to a better step. It was always RPF, PL, and PSD in the parliament but it has now changed for the better,” he said.
“Nothing will hold us back on our pledges; it is not an easy task but we shall lobby other parties in the House.”
Habineza said they will advocate for the revision of land law to scrap or at least reduce land taxes and strive to give back land to the citizens as opposed to the current status of leasing land with the state.
PS-Imberakuri president Christine Mukabunani said her first party’s representation in the parliament is a great achievement.
She thanked voters for the trust placed in her party and promised it will strive to deliver the pledges it made during the campaign.
Women have 49 seats equivalent to 61.2% of the 80-seat Lower House.
These include 24 women special seats, 19 out of 40 RPF seats, two from each of PSD and PL, one from PS-Imberakuri and Clarisse Imaniriho representing the youth.
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