AFRICAN ELECTIONS DATABASE
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Elections in Rwanda
 
Political Profile
Political System: Restricted Democratic Practice
President: Paul Kagame (FPR) [since 22 April 2000; appointed vice president 1994, elected president by the Transitional National Assembly 2000, directly elected 2003] The President is elected by direct popular vote for a 7-year term. Electoral System: Two Round (Run-off).
Prime Minister: Bernard Makuza (MDR) [since 08 March 2000] The Prime Minister is appointed by the president.
Parliament [bicameral]
--Senate (26 Seats) 12 members are elected by provincial and sectoral councils, representing each province and the City of Kigali, 8 members are appointed by the president, 4 are appointed by the Political Organizations Forum, and 2 members represent the universities and institutions of higher learning; members serve 8-year terms.
--Chamber of Deputies (80 Seats) 53 members are elected by direct popular vote using the party-list proportional representation system, 24 women are elected by a joint assembly composed of members of the respective District, Municipality, Town or Kigali City Councils and members of the Executive Committees of women’s organizations at the Province, Kigali City, District, Municipality, Town and Sector levels, 2 members are elected by the National Youth Council, and 1 member is elected by the Federation of the Associations of the Disabled; members serve 5-year terms.
Political Situation since Independence
1962-1965 Restricted Democratic Practice
1965-1973 One Party State (MDR-PARMEHUTU)
1973-1975 Military Regime
1975-1978 [De Facto] One Party State (MRND)
1978-1991 One Party State (MRND)
1991-1994 Multiparty Transition
1994-2003 Transitional Government
2003-        Restricted Democratic Practice
2007 Freedom House Rating: Political Rights - 6, Civil Liberties - 5, Status: Not Free
Next Scheduled Presidential Election: 2010
Next Scheduled Senatorial Election: 2011
Next Scheduled Chamber of Deputies Election: September 2008
Political Parties: APROSOMA - Association for Social Promotion of the Masses (predominately ethnic Hutu), FPR - Rwandan Patriotic Front (predominately ethnic Tutsi), MDR - Democratic Republican Movement (predominately ethnic Hutu), MDR-PARMEHUTU - Democratic Republican Party-Party of the Hutu Emancipation Movement (predominately ethnic Hutu), MRND - National Revolutionary Movement for Development, MRNDD - National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development (predominately ethnic Hutu), PDC - Christian Democratic Party (predominately ethnic Hutu, center-right, christian-democratic), PDI - Islamic Democratic Party, PL - Liberal Party (predominately ethnic Hutu, center-left, liberal), PPC - Party for Progress and Concord, PSD - Social Democratic Party (predominately ethnic Hutu, left-wing, social-democratic), PSR - Rwandan Socialist Party (social-democratic), RADER - Rwandese Democratic Rally, UDPR - Democratic Union of the Rwandan People, UNAR - Rwandese National Union (predominately ethnic Tutsi, monarchist).
Coalitions: Rwandan Patriotic Front-led Coalition [Contested 2003 Chamber of Deputies Election] Member parties include the Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR), Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Islamic Democratic Party (PDI), Rwandan Socialist Party (PSR), and the Democratic Union of the Rwandan People (UDPR).
 
Election Results
 
 
Presidential
--Multiparty: 2003
--Single Party: 1965, 1969, 1978, 1983, 1988
Legislative
--Multiparty: 1961, 2003
--Single Party: 1965, 1969, 1981, 1983, 1988
Referenda: 1961, 1978, 2003
 
 
25 September 1961 Referendum
Question 1
Ballot Question: Should the Monarchy in Rwanda be Preserved?

Registered Voters

1,337,342

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,274,631 (95.3%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     14,329

Total Valid Votes

1,260,302

Question 2
Ballot Question 2: Should Kigeri V remain King of Rwanda?

Registered Voters

1,337,342

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,273,691 (95.2%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     11,526

Total Valid Votes

1,262,165

Results

Question 1

Question 2

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

253,963

20.15%

257,510

20.40%

"No" Votes

1,006,339

79.85%

1,004,655

79.60%

 
25 September 1961 Legislative Assembly Election

Registered Voters

1,337,342

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party

% of Votes

Number of Seats (44)

Democratic Republican Party-Party of the Hutu Emancipation Movement (MDR-PARMEHUTU)

77.7%

35

Rwandese National Union (UNAR)

16.8%

07

Association for Social Promotion of the Masses (APROSOMA)

3.5%

02

Rwandese Democratic Rally (RADER)

0.3%

-

Others

1.7%

-

 
Single Party Elections
Sole Legal Party: Democratic Republican Party-Party of the Hutu Emancipation Movement (MDR-PARMEHUTU)

10 March 1965 Presidential Election (Grégoire Kayibanda elected unopposed)

10 March 1965 Legislative Assembly Election (47 Seats)

29 September 1969 Presidential Election (Grégoire Kayibanda re-elected unopposed)

29 September 1969 Legislative Assembly Election (47 Seats)

 
17 December 1978 Constitutional Referendum
Main Points: Presidential Republic, No Presidential Term Limits, Sole Legal Party

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Results

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

89.90%

"No" Votes

10.10%

 
Single Party Elections
Sole Legal Party: National Revolutionary Movement for Development (MRND) 1975-1991, National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development 1991 (MRNDD)

24 December 1978 Presidential Election (Juvénal Habyarimana elected unopposed with 99% of the vote)

28 December 1981 National Development Council Election (64 Seats)

19 December 1983 Presidential Election (Juvénal Habyarimana re-elected unopposed with 99.97% of the vote)

26 December 1983 National Development Council Election (70 Seats)

16 December 1988 National Development Council Election (70 Seats)

19 December 1988 Presidential Election (Juvénal Habyarimana re-elected unopposed with 99.98% of the vote)

 
26 May 2003 Constitutional Referendum
Main Points: Presidential Republic, Bicameral Parliament, Bans inciting racial hatred

Registered Voters

3,863,965

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

3,472,200 (89.9%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

   119,447

Total Valid Votes

3,352,753

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

3,132,291

93.42%

"No" Votes

220,462

06.58%

 
25 August 2003 Presidential Election [Results by Province]

Registered Voters

3,948,749

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

3,812,567 (96.6%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     83,291

Total Valid Votes

3,729,276

Candidate (Party)

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Paul Kagame (FPR)

3,544,777

95.05%

Faustin Twagiramungu

134,865

3.62%

Jean-Népomuscène Nayinzira

49,634

1.33%

 
29-30 September 2003 Chamber of Deputies Election [Results by Province]

Registered Voters

3,958,058

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

3,818,603 (96.5%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     58,001

Total Valid Votes

3,760,602

Party/Coalition

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Seats (53)*

Rwandan Patriotic Front-led Coalition

2,774,661

73.78%

40

 

Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR)

      

33

Christian Democratic Party (PDC)

03

Islamic Democratic Party (PDI)

02

Democratic Union of the Rwandan People (UDPR)

01

Rwandan Socialist Party (PSR)

01

Social Democratic Party (PSD)

463,067

12.31%

07

Liberal Party (PL)

396,978

10.56%

06

Party for Progress and Concord (PPC)

83,563

2.25%

-

Independents

42,333

1.13%

-

*53 Members are directly elected, an additional 27 members are indirectly elected.