this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2024
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Projected results from the election commission after polls closed in Rwanda put incumbent Paul Kagame on 99.15%. Turnout was said to be 98%. Only two opposition candidates with no real profile were allowed to run.

More than 9 million Rwandans were called to vote for a new president on Monday, and according to official results, more than 99% of them supported the incumbent Paul Kagame for a fourth term.

Soon after polls closed on Monday evening, the election commission said that Kagame had won 99.15% of the votes. 

It also put turnout at a staggeringly high 98%. By comparison, even in those few countries where citizens are legally obliged to vote or face a fine, such as Australia, turnout only ever tends to be between 90 and 95%.

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

In so many ways, Kagame is one of the rare “benevolent dictators” but one of the reasons that concept is often used sarcastically is because no matter how benevolent, any autocratic leader makes it nearly impossible to build up civil society and institutions — including opposition parties — that need to be in place for who (or, potentially, what chaos) follows.

If you told the world that Rwanda would be stable, safe, and relatively prosperous after arguably the most brutal modern genocide, everyone would have taken that deal. Maybe this is the only way it would have happened. But autocratic leaders have a tendency to stay on too long at the expense of long term stability.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

It works for Victor von Doom.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 4 months ago (1 children)

So you're a dictator.

Even with 2 alternatives who had no high profile it would have been impossible

Its impossible that 99.something% of the people come out to vote

Its impossible that 99.something% of the people vote for the same guy. Even just error rates from people accidently filling out the wrong checkbox would have been higher than that.

Hell, even Putin doesn't make it THIS obvious that he stole the elections

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago

Putin once got 140% so no he does

[–] [email protected] 22 points 4 months ago (1 children)

That's nothing, Trump's going to get 99.5% of the vote on 98.3% turn out in 2028.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

How dare you address the Supreme Beloved Sublime Leader so disrespectfully? Off to the gulag with you!

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago (1 children)

A turnout that high is not possible to get even if you sent the army knocking on each door "vote or get your family slaughtered"

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

They only have to threaten, now.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It's really shocking that I can't seem to find a single article discussing election fraud or coercion. Common sense dictates that in a free election, these numbers are… unprecedented to say the least. Isn't anyone reporting on this?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Maybe it's simply so obvious that it's not worth discussing in depth.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Those percentages feel like they’re intentionally completely over the top. There has to be a message there.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Shouda gone with 99.69

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago

Naaahhhh nothing to see there.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

It surprises me that he hadn't won by 300%...

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

After reading Romeo d'Allaire's book, I strongly suspect his hands are so bloody it's now a tattoo.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Those 0.85% that didn't vote for Kagame are gonna be in trouble

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Buncha hacks, those guys.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

Oof that was a close one.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

The remaining 0.85 have nowhere to go but down.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

I love that it says "early results" as a hedge on certainty.