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Following elections held on Monday, July 15, 2024, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) revealed that Kagame secured a resounding victory with 99.15% of the votes.

'This election process, the campaign we conducted first, the voting, and the results that have just been released, mean something significant in a person’s life; it symbolizes trust, for which I thank you,' President Kagame said.

He emphasized that trust is not easily earned and requires time and consistent effort. 'Trust is built over time,' he added.

Reflecting on his leadership and the journey he has shared with the Rwandan people, Kagame noted the importance of facing challenges head-on.

'With this trust and all these years we have spent together solving many difficult challenges, was there ever a time when you saw me at a loss for solutions? I am never defeated by challenges,' he declared, reinforcing his commitment to overcoming obstacles with the continued support of the nation.

'Even in the difficult situations we have gone through or will go through in the future, trust is the reason for it all. Trust makes me confident that together, there is no challenge we will not surmount.'

The partial results also indicated that other presidential candidates, Dr. Frank Habineza of the DGPR party and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana, received 0.53% and 0.32% of the votes, respectively.

By Monday, 7,160,864 votes had been counted, with an expected turnout of over nine million Rwandans and 98% voter turnout.

NEC is set to announce provisional results on July 20, with the final results expected on July 27.

President Paul Kagame has lauded Rwandans for their trust in his leadership.

IGIHE

In partial results announced on Monday night, RPF Inkotanyi presidential candidate Paul Kagame is leading with 99.15 percent of the votes cast, followed by Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, who got 0.53 percent of the votes, while independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana managed 0.32 percent.

At the time of the announcement of the results, Kagame had garnered 7,099,810 votes, Habineza had got 38,301 votes, and Mpayimana had obtained 22,753 votes on the national level.

The total number of votes tallied was 7,160,864, which represents 78.94 percent of the votes cast locally and in the diaspora.

While it is evident that Kagame outshined his challengers in all four provinces and the city of Kigali, Mpayimana performed better than Habineza in the diaspora and Western Province.
Kagame secured 38,803 votes (95.40%) from the Rwandan community abroad, Mpayimana came in a distant second with 998 votes (2.45%), followed by Habineza with 874 votes (2.15%).

A similar trend was observed in the Western Province, where Kagame got 1,601,447 votes (99.60%), followed by Mpayimana with 4,646 votes (0.29%), and Habineza with 1,839 votes (0.11%).

Kagame whitewashed the two candidates in the Northern Province to lead with 1,147,962 (99.65%), followed by Habineza who got 3,053 votes (0.27%), and Mpayimana who obtained 955 votes (0.08%).

Similarly, Kagame leads in the Southern Province with 1,592,657 votes (98.60%), followed by Habineza with 11,753 (0.73%) and Mpayimana with 10,855 (0.67%).

In the Eastern Province, Kagame got 1,754,489 votes (99.30%), Habineza came in a distant second with 11,349 (0.64%) followed by Mpayimana with 961 votes (0.05%).

The City of Kigali gave Kagame a boost to secure a landslide victory with 964,452 votes (98.59%), followed by Habineza with 9,433 votes (0.96%) and Mpayimana with 4,338 votes (0.44%).

A total of 9,071,157 Rwandans registered to vote in the 2024 general election. Gasinzigwa said Monday’s voter turnout was 98 percent.

The NEC will announce provisional results on July 20, with final results expected on July 27.

Overall, this year’s results mirror the outcome of the 2017 edition, where Kagame won with 98.8 percent of the votes cast. Mpayimana and Habineza, who also challenged him in the 2017 election, got 0.73 and 0.48 percent of the votes cast respectively.

In partial results announced on Monday night, RPF Inkotanyi presidential candidate Paul Kagame is leading with 99.15 percent of the votes cast, followed by Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, who got 0.53 percent of the votes, while independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana managed 0.32 percent.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

The judo competition will be held at the Champ-de-Mars Arena from July 27 to August 3, featuring 15 golds in seven categories each for men and women respectively, plus a mixed team event.

The host team, led by Olympic champions Teddy Riner and Clarisse Agbegnenou, is particularly strong. The emergence of French judo talents in recent years has further reinforced their competitiveness.

France bagged eight medals at the Tokyo Olympics, with two golds, three silvers and three bronzes, while French media predicted that their judokas could win five to ten medals in Paris.

Japan demonstrated its strength in judo at the Tokyo Olympics, winning nine gold medals. In Paris, judokas Hifumi and Uta Abe, both defending Olympic champions, are expected to become the first siblings in Olympic history to successfully defend their titles.

The powerhouses will also face challenges from teams including Azerbaijan, South Korea, Georgia and Mongolia, which may have a considerable impact on the medal tally.

China will send six female judokas to the Paris Olympic Games to compete in the women’s 48kg, 52kg, 57kg, 63kg, 78kg and over 78kg categories.

Among them, Ma Zhenzhao, who won the women’s 78kg category at the Hangzhou Asian Games, is one of the gold favorites, and so is her compatriot Xu Shiyan, who ranked fifth at the Tokyo Olympics in the over 78kg category. Besides the two veterans, others are all Olympic debutants.

Yang Yung-Wei of Chinese Taipei is currently ranked world No. 1 in the men’s 60kg category and is expected to make breakthroughs in Paris. Matthias Casse of Belgium, who ranked first in the men’s 81kg category, is hopeful of winning gold, as he claimed two gold medals at the IJF Grand Slam this year.

Ma Zhenzhao (top) of China celebrates during the women’s 78kg judo final at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province on September 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Li An)

IGIHE

The U.S. women, who won team titles in 2012 and 2016, seem even more formidable, as Simone Biles has returned to superb form, winning the all-around world title in 2023 and taking a ninth national championship in 2024.

After the Tokyo Olympics, Biles took time to polish her signature Yurchenko double pike, upgrade her floor exercise, and recently produced a new dismount combination on bars.

But it’s not just Biles that makes the American team stronger. Reigning all-around Olympic champion Suni Lee and 24-year-old Jade Carey also stand out. Lee is known for her excellence on the uneven bars, while Carey is a valuable asset on floor and vault.

There are, however, quite a few notable contenders that may pose a serious challenge for the U.S..

China’s Qiu Qiyuan defeated Biles on the uneven bars at last year’s world championships, and is eyeing glory in Paris. “It’s competitive, but if I can finish it smoothly, I will have a chance to win the title,” Qiu said.

Qiu’s teammate Zhou Yaqin, with a brilliant display on the balance beam, is also a strong candidate for the Olympic title.

In the women’s team event, three athletes from each team compete on vault, balance beam, uneven bars and floor exercise. “Vault and floor may not be our favorite,” said Qiu. “We hope to have consistent and well-performed routines to make up for the difficulty.”

Having a breakout year in 2023 by taking a first-ever team silver medal in the world championship, Brazil’s squad, led by Tokyo all-around silver medalist Rebeca Andrade, is on the hunt for an unprecedented Olympic team medal for the South American nation.

France’s women’s team, having never previously finished higher than fifth at an Olympics, is in contention for a medal after a strong showing for a team bronze at the world championships last year.

Paris 2024 Gymnastics Preview: U.S. women aim high, China, Japan vie for men’s title
Source: XinhuaEditor: huaxia2024-07-16 16:48:30

Gold medalist Simone Biles of the United States reacts during the awarding ceremony of women’s floor exercise final of the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium on October 8, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
The U.S. women’s gymnastics team aims for more gold medals at the Paris Olympics, while China and Japan contend for the men’s titles.

BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) — The United States’ female gymnasts are looking to secure several gold medals at the upcoming Paris Olympics, particularly in the women’s team event, which they lost to the ROC at the Tokyo Olympics, while China and Japan will be the main contenders for the men’s titles.

The U.S. women, who won team titles in 2012 and 2016, seem even more formidable, as Simone Biles has returned to superb form, winning the all-around world title in 2023 and taking a ninth national championship in 2024.

After the Tokyo Olympics, Biles took time to polish her signature Yurchenko double pike, upgrade her floor exercise, and recently produced a new dismount combination on bars.

But it’s not just Biles that makes the American team stronger. Reigning all-around Olympic champion Suni Lee and 24-year-old Jade Carey also stand out. Lee is known for her excellence on the uneven bars, while Carey is a valuable asset on floor and vault.

There are, however, quite a few notable contenders that may pose a serious challenge for the U.S..

China’s Qiu Qiyuan defeated Biles on the uneven bars at last year’s world championships, and is eyeing glory in Paris. “It’s competitive, but if I can finish it smoothly, I will have a chance to win the title,” Qiu said.

Qiu’s teammate Zhou Yaqin, with a brilliant display on the balance beam, is also a strong candidate for the Olympic title.

In the women’s team event, three athletes from each team compete on vault, balance beam, uneven bars and floor exercise. “Vault and floor may not be our favorite,” said Qiu. “We hope to have consistent and well-performed routines to make up for the difficulty.”

Having a breakout year in 2023 by taking a first-ever team silver medal in the world championship, Brazil’s squad, led by Tokyo all-around silver medalist Rebeca Andrade, is on the hunt for an unprecedented Olympic team medal for the South American nation.

France’s women’s team, having never previously finished higher than fifth at an Olympics, is in contention for a medal after a strong showing for a team bronze at the world championships last year.

In the men’s competition, 2021 world all-around champion Zhang Boheng of China, a long-time rival of reigning Olympic and world all-around champion Daiki Hashimoto, is set to challenge for his first-ever Olympic title.

Japan have also sent a strong team to join Hashimoto that includes NHK Trophy men’s all-around title winner Shinnosuke Oka. Finishing second in the team final at the Tokyo Olympics, Japan were crowned world champions in 2023 and are looking to repeat their success in Paris.

The gymnastics competition of Paris 2024 will run through July 27 to August 5.

Qiu Qiyuan of China competes during the women’s uneven bars final of the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp on October 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

Xinhua

In a distinct fashion, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, vividly communicates the country’s reform goals and methods to audiences both at home and abroad.

The following are some examples.

VENTURING INTO THE MOUNTAIN DESPITE KNOWING THERE ARE TIGERS

In April 2014, Xi delivered a speech at the College of Europe during his state visit to Belgium.

China needs to “venture into the mountain despite knowing there are tigers,” as its reform has entered a “deep water zone” where tough challenges must be addressed, Xi said.

Ahead of a visit to Latin America about three months later, Xi once again invoked the expression to proclaim to the world China’s unwavering determination and courage in furthering reform.

“We will advance reform with the political courage and wisdom of ‘venturing into the mountain despite knowing there are tigers,’ and with great dedication to working hard and achieving tangible results,” he said.

PLAYING THE PIANO WITH ALL 10 FINGERS

In an interview with a Russian TV station in February 2014, Xi said that Chinese leaders must “play the piano with all 10 fingers,” emphasizing the need to plan for the bigger picture while keeping all moving parts in play.

Since assuming the Party’s top post in November 2012, Xi has made “coordination” a keyword in the CPC’s endeavors to deepen reform so as to improve and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernize China’s system and capacity for governance.

Amid changes in the domestic and global landscapes, China’s reform is confronting challenges on an unprecedented scale, involving a wide range of complex issues.

“It is crucial to enhance the coordination and mutual support among reform measures, ensuring that reforms across different fields and sectors align and synergize to maximize overall effectiveness,” Xi said in his inspection tour of east China’s Shandong Province in May this year.

CLEARING THE CAGE FOR NEW BIRDS

During his tenure as Party chief of Zhejiang Province, Xi put forward the expression “clearing the cage for new birds” to shed light on the transformation of a relatively extensive model of growth in the eastern province, which boasts a strong private sector.

Since he became general secretary of the CPC Central Committee in 2012, Xi has made use of this expression on multiple occasions. In March 2014, when taking part in deliberation in the annual national legislative session with lawmakers from Guangdong Province, China’s economic powerhouse and a pioneer in reform and opening up, Xi used the expression to stress the importance of deepening reform in all areas and promoting structural adjustments.

Xi called for efforts to advance industrial upgrading, give full play to the role of innovation in propelling progress, and embrace green development.

Three years later, also during the annual national legislative session, Xi mentioned the phrase again in a discussion with lawmakers from Liaoning Province, one of China’s earliest major industrial bases, emphasizing the necessity of replacing old industries with new ones amid the country’s economic transformation drive.

TWO WINGS OF A BIRD, TWO WHEELS OF A CART

Xi referred to the roles of reform and the rule of law in propelling China’s development as “two wings of a bird or two wheels of a cart” while addressing senior officials during a meeting in February 2015.

“Reform should be promoted under the rule of law and the rule of law should be enhanced in the process of reform. This is why we refer to them as ‘two wheels,’” Xi stressed.

ENGINE IGNITER

“If innovation is the new engine for China’s development, reform is the indispensable igniter,” Xi said in his address at the APEC CEO Summit held in Beijing in November 2014.

“To comprehensively deepen reform, we need to broaden the path for innovation,” Xi stressed in his address, pledging to enable the engine of innovation to run with full power.

China has reformed its talent evaluation system for years to boost creativity among sci-tech professionals. Provinces including Anhui, Shandong and Sichuan have introduced pilot programs to shift away from overemphasizing academic papers, professional titles, degrees and awards.

“In a new round of global growth, only reformers can advance, only innovators can thrive, and only those who reform and innovate will prevail,” Xi said.

A FAIR SHARE OF A BIGGER PIE

Addressing the G20 Hangzhou Summit in 2016, Xi used the metaphor “a bigger pie” to describe China’s development and stressed the necessity of “ensuring that people get a fair share of it.”

This is an answer to the question “for whom the reform was conducted.”

“We will resolve the most pressing problems affecting the immediate interests of the people to their satisfaction,” he said.

Achieving common prosperity is a basic requirement of socialism and an important feature of the Chinese path to modernization. Making “the pie” bigger while dividing it well has enriched both the theory and practice of common prosperity.

Xinhua

Roth, a former executive director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), had claimed that if President Paul Kagame was re-elected with 99 percent of the vote it would be a mockery of the electoral process.

“Doesn’t Rwanda’s Paul Kagame realize that when he “wins” an “election” with some 99 percent of the vote, he mocks the whole process, making everyone realize he wanted a charade because he wouldn’t risk a real election,” the activist posted on X as Rwandans in the diaspora exercised their civic duty on July 14.

In a swift response, Makolo told the former head of the Human Rights Watch organization to stop meddling in Rwandan affairs.

“What process, whose process? People like Ken Roth need to get over the fact that they can never teach us how to live. Ever. Rwanda belongs to Rwandans. There’s a process in Ken’s country that needs serious attention – maybe focus on that?” Makolo stated in an apparent reference to the ongoing intense presidential election campaigns in the United States pitting President Joe Biden and former Head of State Donald Trump.

Rwandans in the diaspora went to the polls on Sunday to elect their president and members of parliament, while locals cast their votes on Monday.

Partial results announced by National Electoral Commission chairperson Oda Gasinzigwa on Monday night showed that Kagame of the RPF Inkotanyi party was on course to secure a landslide victory with 99.15 percent of the votes cast. His closest challenger, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, managed a mere 0.53 percent of the votes, while independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana got 0.32 percent.

Kagame had, during the campaign period, urged foreigners to respect Rwandans’ right to exercise their democracy by electing leaders of their choice.

Addressing a campaign rally in Muhanga District on June 24, 2024, the incumbent took issue with foreigners who claim there is no democracy in Rwanda, based on the fact that in 2003, 2010, and 2017 he was elected with nearly 100% of the votes. He explained that often in their countries, voter turnout is low.

He stated, 'There are those who do not understand us, who do not understand Rwanda, but gradually, actions will speak to them. As we said before, 100%—some do not understand that 100% is democracy. How is 100% possible? They claim there is no democracy. I asked someone the other day, 'Those governed by 15%, and those who voted are around 30% or 40% of those eligible—is that democracy? How so?’'

The RPF candidate emphasized that elections in Rwanda are solely the concern of Rwandans, as they are the ones who choose their leaders to guide them in building their nation. He urged foreign critics of Rwanda’s electoral process to address issues within their own countries instead of focusing on Rwandan elections.

Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo (left) told the former head of the Human Rights Watch to stop meddling in Rwandan affairs.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

The results announced by NEC chairperson Oda Gasinzigwa show that Kagame of the RPF Inkotanyi party is leading in the presidential race with 7,099,810 votes, which represents 99.15 percent of the votes tallied so far. Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda follows with 38,301 votes (0.53%), and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana managed a meagre 22,753 votes (0.32%).

Reacting to the results, Habineza said his party had accepted the results and congratulated Kagame ahead of the official announcement of the final results.

“Dear Rwandans, we have received the preliminary results released by the NEC. We would like to announce that we have accepted these results and extend our congratulations to the winner, His Excellency Paul Kagame,” Habineza said at Olympic Hotel in Kimironko, Kigali, where he was awaiting the results.

He left the hotel immediately after the comments.

Mpayimana, on his part, told journalists that the announced results were provisional and that he remains hopeful as the country awaits the final declaration of the results.

At the time of the announcement of the partial results on Monday night, NEC had tallied 7,160,864 votes, representing 78.94 percent of the votes cast.

A total of 9,071,157 Rwandans had registered to vote in the 2024 general election. Gasinzigwa said Monday’s voter turnout was 98 percent.

The NEC boss will announce provisional results on July 20, with final results expected on July 27.

Meanwhile, Kagame’s victory mirrors the outcome of the 2017 polls, where he won with 98.8 percent of the votes cast. Mpayimana and Habineza, who also challenged him in the 2017 election, got 0.73 and 0.48 percent of the votes cast respectively.

Reacting to his poised victory on Monday, President Kagame said that receiving a high number of votes demonstrates the continued trust Rwandans have in him.

“This electoral process of campaigning and voting, and now the results we are seeing, signify something very important in a person’s life. It shows trust, and I thank you for that. Trust is not easy to come by. It is not something you give to someone in an instant and then immediately receive in return; trust is something built over time,” Kagame told supporters gathered at RPF Inkotanyi headquarters in Rusororo.

“If you observe, because of this trust, all these years we have spent together […] I am never surprised by anything, no matter the difficulties we have gone through or will go through in the future. The reason is exactly that, the trust I was talking about. I am confident that, together, we will solve any problem we face.”

Frank Habineza said his party had accepted the results and congratulated Kagame ahead of the official announcement of the final results.

Wycliffe Nyamasege