Rwanda opposition leader Frank Habineza cast vote, expects surprise victory

Left: Rwanda's Democratic Green Party candidate Frank Habineza with his wife, arrive at a polling station in Kimironko, Kigali. Right, the presidential candidate casts his vote on August 4, 2017. PHOTO | CYRIL NDEGEYA | NMG 

By IVAN R. MUGISHA
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Rwanda’s opposition Green Party flagbearer Frank Habineza cast his vote early Friday at a school in the capital Kigali.

Together with his wife and several party members, Mr Habineza arrived at Kimironko Primary
School shortly after voting began.

He exuded confidence, telling journalists that they should expect his surprise victory.

"By the end of today I will be announced President of Rwanda," he said.

Thousands of Rwandans turned out to vote in polling stations across the country in an election where President Paul Kagame is expected to win his third term by a landslide.

Mr Habineza said he would concede defeat "only if the election is proved to be free and fair".

He said his party has deployed "enough well paid" election observers to ensure that all polling centres are monitored for any sort of irregularities.

This is the first time that Mr Habineza is on the presidential ballot paper, after he was disqualified from running for president in 2010.

The Green Party also has no representation in Parliament, a situation the opposition leader says he wants to change during next year's parliamentary elections.

Polling centres were opened as early as 6am and will close by 4pm today.

The electoral commission has said it will begin to announce provisional results tonight between 8pm and 11pm.

Rwandans in the diaspora voted on Thursday in 98 polling stations across the world, with the exception of neighbouring Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo where the electoral agency said security concerns made it difficult to organise safe voting.