KIGALI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- More than 700 domestic and foreign observers have been registered ahead of Rwanda's parliamentary polls scheduled for next month, National Electoral Commission executive secretary Charles Munyaneza said on Sunday.
The observers include representatives from Rwandan civil society groups and political parties, foreign embassy representatives such as ambassadors accredited to Rwanda, and those from the African Union and the Francophone organization, he said.
Registration is still ongoing, with about 2,000 observers expected to be accredited for the upcoming election, Munyaneza said.
According to the electoral commission, a total of 7,172,612 Rwandans were registered to take part in the parliamentary elections, up from 5,953,531 registered in the 2013 legislative elections, an increase of 20 percent.
The commission has said voting will take place at 2,473 polling stations across the country.
Parliamentary campaigns, which started on Aug. 13, will run through Sept. 1.
A total of 521 candidates were nominated ahead of the elections, including 302 from the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) and other political parties.
Others include four independent candidates, 26 for youth, 10 for people with disabilities, and 179 for slots reserved for women in parliament.
During the balloting, scheduled for Sept. 2-4, Rwandan voters will elect 80 members of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house, for a five-year term, according to the commission.
Among the 80 seats, 53 will be directly elected by proportional representation, while the remaining 27, reserved for special interest groups including women, the youth and the disabled, are elected indirectly.
