Presidential and parliamentary candidates head to different parts of the country on Thursday, June 27, the sixth day of the campaign season, as they continue to canvass support ahead of the July elections.
Thousands of residents of Huye District in Southern Province woke up early to go to the campaign site where incumbent Paul Kagame, the presidential candidate of the RPF-Inkontanyi, resumes his campaign trail after a break on Wednesday.
Kagame, whose rallies usually attract hundreds of thousands of supporters, has so far addressed rallies in Musanze, Rubavu, Ngororero, Muhanga and Nyarugenge.
He is seeking re-election in the July 15 polls, where he will face two opponents, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, and Phillipe Mpayimana, an independent candidate.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Habineza also headed to Southern Province, with a stop in Nyanza District. On Wednesday, he addressed residents of Nyagatare and Gatsibo. Habineza has also campaigned in Gasabo, Kamonyi and Kirehe.
After campaigning in Musanze and Burera districts on Wednesday, Mpayimana went to Ngororero on Thursday. Mpayimana’s campaign trail has already covered Kirehe, Ngoma, Kayonza, Nyagatare and Gatsibo districts.
For parliamentary candidates, on Thursday, Green Party also took its campaign to Nyanza.
The sole independent parliamentary candidate Janvier Nsengiyumva took his campaign to Ngororero and Nyabihu districts on Thursday, after he had campaigned in Musanze on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a group of female candidates who are seeking to represent women in the Chamber of Deputies will Thursday campaign in Kicukiro. A total of 24 women representatives will be picked by an electoral college in each of the five constituencies (City of Kigali and all the four provinces), while two youth MPs and another representing persons with disabilities will be elected by an electoral college constituted at the national level.
The Ideal Democratic Party (PDI), which campaigned in Rwamagana District, and RPF-Inkotanyi, which campaigned in Kirehe District along with its allies, took a break on Thursday. PDI has 55 candidates for Members of Parliament, while RPF-Inkotanyi and allies have 80 candidates.
The Social Democratic Party (PSD), which has 59 parliamentary candidates, and Liberal Party (PL), which has 54 candidates also took a break from the campaign trail on Thursday.
PS-Imberakuri also took a break on Thursday after campaigning in Rubavu District on Wednesday.