KIGALI, Rwanda ��Rwandan President Paul Kagame won a third term in a landslide victory, extending his 17-year reign over the East African country that has been praised for economic growth but dogged by accusations of human-rights abuses.
Kagame received 98.6 percent of the vote in provisional results from Friday's election, the National Electoral Commission said. The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda's candidate, Frank Habineza, had 0.47 percent, and the only other contender, Philippe Mpayimana, an independent, won0.73 percent.
Kagame led a rebel army that ended a 1994 genocide in which about 800,000 people died, and he's been credited with turning Rwanda's economy into one of Africa's top performers by cutting red tape and improving infrastructure. Detractors such as Amnesty International say civil liberties have been cast aside and the vote's credibility was compromised by a violent crackdown on his opponents.
Kagame was able to seek re-election after a 2015 referendum backed amending the constitution to remove a two-term limit. After a new, seven-year term, he can run for two further terms of five years each, potentially remaining in office until 2034, when he would be 77.
Landlocked Rwanda's economy has expanded an average of more than 7 percent a year since Kagame took office in 2000, and is expected to grow 6.1 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. Its biggest industries and sources of foreign exchange are tea, coffee, tourism and mining.
In its election manifesto, the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front pledged to create jobs, partner with private companies to encourage new industry, build about 2,400 miles of roads and increase mineral exploration.
