Kagame, who grew to become president in 2000, is eligible to proceed in workplace for an additional decade after a constitutional modification in 2015.
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has introduced in a interview he’ll stand for re-election subsequent yr, hoping to increase almost 1 / 4 of a century in energy.
Kagame, who grew to become president in 2000, is eligible to proceed in workplace for an additional decade after a constitutional modification in 2015 modified time period limits that might have compelled him to step down two years later.
Within the interview with the pan-African Jeune Afrique journal printed on Tuesday, the 65-year-old was requested about his intentions for subsequent yr’s election.
“I’m proud of the arrogance that the Rwandans have proven in me. I’ll all the time serve them, as a lot once I can. Sure, I’m certainly a candidate,” he stated.
Kagame gained the final election in August 2017 for a seven-year time period with 98.63 p.c of the vote, based on the electoral fee.
The president was re-elected as chair of the governing Rwandan Patriotic Entrance celebration earlier this yr for an additional five-year time period.
He has confronted mounting criticism for what human rights teams have stated are the suppression of political opposition and the muzzling of unbiased media.
The nation was ranked 131 out of 180 nations within the 2023 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters With out Borders. Kagame has rejected these accusations.
‘Not a shock’
Inexperienced Get together and opposition chief Frank Habineza, Kagame’s solely recognized challenger within the upcoming elections, stated the president’s plan to face once more subsequent yr “just isn’t a shock”.
“We’re not fearful of him, we’re getting organised higher as a political celebration to place up a greater marketing campaign than we did in 2017. We’re assured,” he advised the AFP information company in Kigali.
“Democracy is a battle so we will proceed to battle democratically for political area and democracy, rule of regulation and human rights in Rwanda.”
The US in 2015 criticised the constitutional change, saying Kagame ought to step down when his time period ended and permit a brand new technology of leaders to come back by way of.
When requested what he thought the West would consider him operating once more, he replied, “I’m sorry for the West, however what the West thinks just isn’t my downside.”
“Individuals are speculated to be unbiased and must be allowed to organise themselves as they want,” Kagame added.
The US-based watchdog Freedom Home described Rwanda as “not free” in its newest report and stated the celebration has been “banning and repressing any opposition group that might mount a critical problem to its management”.