#RwandaElections: EAC observers laud conduct during presidential campaigns

The mission leader of the East African Community election observer mission (EOM) in Rwanda, Moody Awori, has commended the people of Rwanda for conducting themselves with maturity in the ongoing presidential election campaigns.

Awori said this on Monday in Kigali during the official flagging off of the EAC observer mission ahead of the August 4 presidential election.

“This is one of the most peaceful campaigns I have ever seen and I trust that it continues that way and you will uphold dignity and peace even on the Election Day and thereafter,” said Awori, a former vice-president of Kenya.

“A transparent and peaceful election will be a plus not just for Rwanda but for the entire EAC region as well as the rest of Africa. It is important that we show the rest of Africa how campaigns are conducted. I am happy this has gone on well.”

Awori noted that the sovereign will of the people expressed through a democratic process is guarantee for peace, stability and economic growth.

Rwanda is a small country with big ideas, he noted, and its resilient recovery from a painful past is a remarkable lesson for Africa whose citizens yearn for peace and development.

“Your experience shows that with political commitment and sheer determination, there is no limit to humanity’s potential to achieve,” Awori said.

The regional bloc’s team of observers is drawn from the East African Legislative Assembly, national human rights commissions, electoral management bodies, civil society, EAC ‘youth ambassadors’, and staff of the EAC secretariat are observing the last few days of ongoing campaigns and later the Election Day on Friday.

The team has 45 people, a number Awori said “is more than sufficient.”

Those who have gone to the field are 30 observers. The remaining 15, including the mission leader, will be based at the Secretariat in Kigali.

EAC observer deployments

Besides Rwanda, EAC also planned for deployment of election observers in Kenya, which is scheduled to hold presidential elections on August 8. Members from South Sudan are taking part in the missions for the first time.

This is the first time the Community is engaging in two election observer missions at the same time in two partner states within a period of 10 days.

The bloc’s observer missions are headed by eminent persons.

They are to undertake the exercise in line with guidelines contained in the EAC principles on electoral observation and evaluation, which heralded the institutionalisation of election observation in partner states.

Missions in the two partner states are being undertaken in two phases; the long-term observer mission or pre-election mission (PEMi); and the short-term election observer mission.

The short-term election observer mission arrived in Rwanda last week and will depart on August 7.

The EAC observer missions to the two partner states are not only in response to the invitation by their national electoral management bodies to the Secretariat but are also a response to the decision of the EAC Council of Ministers on observation of elections in partner states.

Their mandate is to observe the overall electoral environment, pre-election activities, the polling day, and the counting and tallying of results.

The two missions are being undertaken pursuant to Article 3 of the EAC Treaty which requires adherence to universally acceptable principles of democratic governance and in line with the EAC Principles of Election Observation and Evaluation.

Rwandans go to polls on Friday to pick who of incumbent President Paul Kagame, of RPF-Inkotanyi; Frank Habineza, of Democratic Green Party of Rwanda; and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent, will lead the country for the next seven years.

Source: The New Times

Uhuru ready to concede defeat if he loses, asks opponents to do the same

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday evening admitted that he will concede if he loses fairly.

During a TV live chat, the Head of State also asked his opponents to do the same so as to maintain peace in the country.

“I’m the man who abides by the wish of the people and I pray that my opponents do the same. I ask Kenyans to look at one another as brother and sister,” he said.

He said the Jubilee government wants to produce the calmest election that has ever been seen in the country which is why security forces as being equipped to ensure they handle any situation that might arise.

“We are putting in place measures and our security team is working to ensure the safest and most peaceful elections held in this country,” he said.

The conversation with Kenyans, which was aired on K24 TV and also on Facebook Live Chat, comes barely a week after the Head of State snubbed the last presidential debate which was organised by various media houses.

The president was also asked how Jubilee government has tackled the issue of food security, what they are doing about youth unemployment, the integration of the East African Community, marginalised regions and the terrorism threat among other things.

On regions that have for long stayed marginalised, Mr Kenyatta noted that his government, in the past four years, has done more than any other previous administration by digging boreholes, constructing roads and putting such areas and Northern Kenya on the national electricity grid.

“We don’t want a situation where anyone coming from places like the northern border town of Moyale says they are going to ‘Kenya” just because they feel excluded,” he said.

He however, said that in as much as the Jubilee government has not delivered the stadia they promised in their 2013 campaign, some have been launched and are under construction.

But he also blamed the county governments of Kisumu and Mombasa for having issues, which he said, have delayed progress in constructing the sports facilities.

Family

Mr Kenyatta noted that his government wants to make the EAC work and has, for instance, reduced the number of days used to transport cargo from the Port of Mombasa to Uganda.

"We want to ensure our people in the EAC do business or live anywhere in the region and my government is committed to this," he said.

Asked why his children have not been seen campaigning for him the President said: “I don’t want them involved in the campaigns unless they do so desire. All I aspire is to create a Kenya where not just them, but any other child out there can do whatever they want.”

Source: The East African

Explianer: What every voter should know about #RwandaElections

It's five days before Rwandans head to their polling stations to choose who will lead them for the next seven years. While the candidates traverse all corners of the country canvassing for votes, there are things that every voter needs to know before Election Day. The New Times' Nasra Bishumba sat down with the Executive Secretary of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Charles Munyaneza, and asked him questions concerning Election Day. Below are the excerpts.

Where is my local polling station?

More than 96 per cent of the polling stations have not changed over the years. Your polling station is perhaps the same one it has always been.

If the voter has moved and they are yet to know where their new station is, they can use this month's Umuganda (tomorrow) to find out because the activities that day will take place at polling stations.

Do I need a voter's card to vote?

Yes and no. If you have a voter's card, then congratulations; but not all is lost if you have none. You can use your National Identity Card (Indangamuntu) to cast your vote on condition that you are a registered voter.

Special cases like journalists and military personnel can use their professional cards to vote from anywhere due to the nature of their work, but again, only if they have national IDs and are registered voters.

What happens when I get to the polling station?

All you need is to present your national ID, voter's card, and then a verification is done to determine whether you are on the list before you proceed to vote.

What if I make a mistake on my ballot, do I get another chance?

No. You have only one chance and that's why we encourage people to take their time because we cannot get enough ballot papers to replace those that are spoilt.

When is a ballot considered spoilt?

There are different things that can make your vote null and void. For instance, if you decide to cast a blank ballot paper into the box, when you write other things on the paper other than the thumbprint, and if you vote for more than one candidate. All this can invalidate your vote.

What time are polling stations opening and when do they close?

Polling stations will be open at 7am and will close at 3pm.

If I cannot get to a polling station, can someone else vote for me?

Not at all. You must do this civic duty on your own.

I have disabilities, can I vote?

Yes, of course. As long as you are registered and we have put in place mechanisms that will support people with different disabilities. There is braille for the visually impaired and the stations are conducive for every voter.

Who is ineligible to vote?

You are not eligible to vote if you are below 18 years.

If you are not registered.

If you are not Rwandan.

If you are a refugee.

If you are in prison.

If you have been charged and convicted by the court of law and your voting rights have been revoked.

If you were convicted of Genocide against Tutsi crimes and you are yet to complete your punishment.

Can I discuss my vote in the polling station?

Not at all. That is why it is called a secret ballot.

I am a Muslim and I wear hijab, is there a particular dress code?

No. You can put on anything you want but we encourage you to be decent.

Are there any security checks?

Security checks can be done depending on the need.

Can I take a photograph of myself voting?

You are allowed to enter the booth with your phone but you are not allowed to take photos when in there. You are also not allowed to enter when someone else is there. You are not allowed to enter with a gun.

Who is allowed to stay at polling stations?

Registered observers and representatives of the candidates are allowed to be there but other people are encouraged to vote and perhaps come back later when the votes are being counted. In addition,

How are the votes counted?

Counting is done immediately after 3pm and the exercise is carried out in public.

When can I find out the results?

On Election Day, we are going to announce at least 80 per cent of the votes cast. This means that people will go to bed knowing who has won but the final results will be announced a few days later.

There are four election volunteers in every village and they can explain to you everything. If you are near any NEC office, you can walk in and enquire because we stationed in every district and province.

Source: The New Times

AEP
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#KenyaElections: Colours, multitudes rock campaign trails

It’s barely two weeks to Kenya’s general election and the country is tensed from vigorous campaign trails from both the incumbents and the oppositions.

August 8 is the D-day to over 2 million registered voters to elect members of the county assemblies, members of parliament, senators, governors and the president.

Cash has been poured into technology, strategy, internal polling, office space, salaries, expat and foreign experts. Logistics includes purchase and hire of helicopters and vehicles, as well a transport and accommodation for campaign teams.

The most outstanding feature from these campaigns is the use of social media to depict throngs of people vividly dressed in merchandise like T-shirts.

The incumbent wing, Jubilee party led by President Uhuru Kenyatta has invested heavily on branded T-shirts, caps and flags. Thousands of people dressed in red T-shirts gives their campaign a new look.

The opposition, NASA coalition embrace white colour to signify peace and brighter future if elected during their campaigns.

Here are some of the trending images both from Jubilee and NASA campaign trails.

Source: AfricaNews

#RwandaElections: NEC extends voters registration period by one day

Rwanda National Electoral Commission (NEC) has extended the voter register updating process by 24 hours after several requests from voters.

Charles Munyaneza, NEC executive secretary said; “Many registered voters have been requesting for more time. This is why we have added another extra day.”

The process of updating voter’s register has been done in person, online or by phone USSD codes, and today July 17, 2017 was the deadline.

At least 6, 888, 592 Rwandans are set to participate in the August 4th polls. The final list of voters is expected to be announced on July 19, according to the NEC calendar.

Three presidential candidates are campaigning across the country- Paul Kagame, flag-bearer of Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) Inkotanyi, Dr. Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda(DGPR) and Phillipe Mpayimana, an independent candidate.

Voters with vision impairments will for the first time take part in the presidential election in the history of Rwandan elections.

“Those who can use braille, will use special braille lists that will be distributed to election centers. Those who cannot braille will use a special voting mechanism- where they will place their fingers in holes lined according to the list of candidates on the voters list,” said Prof. Kalisa Mbanda, the NEC chairman.

Rwandans in diaspora will cast their votes on August 3, while Rwandans in the country will vote on August 4, 2017. This date is expected to be a big celebration for many as #Rwandadecides

To Register online Click Here