Campaigns for Rwandan parliamentary elections start

Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-14 03:45:22|Editor: yan
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KIGALI, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Campaigns for Rwandan parliamentary elections started on Monday, as Rwandans will go to the poll from Sept. 2 to 4 to elect members of the lower house.

The number of candidates is 521, including 302 from political parties, four independent candidates, 26 for the youth, 10 for people living with disabilities, and 179 for women slots.

The elections of the lower house Chamber Of Deputies use one single nationwide constituency, where 53 seats will be directly elected by proportional representation. The other 27 seats reserved for special interest groups including women, the young and the disabled will be elected indirectly.

The ruling party Rwandan Patriotic Front launched its campaigns in Rulindo district in northern Rwanda with a huge turnout of voters.

Francois Ngarambe, the RPF Secretary General, rallied voters to vote for the RPF candidates at the party's inaugural rally, saying the government needed to maintain a majority in the parliament in order to make enabling laws to implement its seven-year program.

The RPF manifesto for the 4th parliament highlights job creation, agriculture transformation, private sector development, urban development, and enhancing economic development among other pledges.

The Social Democratic Party, an opposition party, launched its campaigns in Ngoma district in eastern Rwanda, with a promise to promote democracy while the Liberal Party (PL) launched its campaigns also in Rulindo district.

PL seeks to enhance health services by putting up health posts across the country, said Donatille Mukabalisa, party president.

The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda started campaigns in Muhanga district in southern Rwanda, where party president Frank Habineza pledged to push for establishment of an import and export bank to ease access to funds for businesses.

Independent candidate Phillip Mpayimana, who was one of the three candidates running for the presidency in 2017, rallied in the capital Kigali. He promised to work closely with voters once elected.

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