The Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) Election Observer Mission has published a preliminary report on Rwanda’s Presidential and Parliamentary elections held on July 15-16, noting a generally smooth and transparent process.
At the invitation of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), a team of 20 observers led by Amb. Kennedy Mokaya from Kenya monitored activities at 114 polling stations across four provinces, including Kigali. The EASF’s role is based on regional and international standards for democratic elections, aiming to build public confidence and protect political rights.
The initial findings showed that voting started on time at all monitored polling stations, with 65% of the electoral officials being women. The EASF praised the professionalism of the staff and the sufficiency of electoral materials, contributing to an efficient voting experience.
Counting procedures followed the law, with transparency maintained through the presence of various stakeholders during the vote verification.
However, the EASF highlighted areas for improvement in future elections. Recommendations to the NEC include revising rules about officials voting outside their registered stations, adding security features to ballot papers to prevent counterfeiting, and implementing biometric voter identification.
The mission also urged the Rwandan government to consider changes to campaign funding laws to create a fairer environment for all candidates and to allow disqualified candidates to seek legal recourse.
The EASF will submit a detailed report to the NEC with findings and suggestions aimed at strengthening democracy in Rwanda.
As the country looks ahead, the EASF’s observations emphasize the need for ongoing reforms to ensure the integrity of the electoral process in the region.
By Carine Kayitesi
