Paul Kagame, Rwanda’s president has been endorsed as candidate by two of the oldest political parties in Rwanda.
The Liberal Party (PL) and the Social Democratic Party (PSD) threw their support behind Paul Kagame, the candidate of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), in the July presidential race on Sunday. This endorsement adds to the support Kagame has garnered from four smaller political parties already aligned with the ruling RPF.
“It is a good thing that President Kagame acknowledges and considers ideas from other political parties” foreign Minister Vincent Biruta, the PSD president said while announcing his party’s endorsement of Kagame.”
Kagame has governed Rwanda for decades, securing victory in the presidential elections of 2003, 2010, and 2017 with over 90 percent of the vote. However, critics and human rights organizations have levied accusations against him, alleging that his leadership fosters an environment of fear, which suppresses dissent and restricts freedom of speech.
Rwanda will hold its presidential and parliamentary polls on July 15.
