The National Electoral Commission (NEC) of Rwanda has clarified why political parties such as PDI and DGPR might appear in Rwanda’s Parliament. Traditionally, political parties or independent candidates earn seats in Parliament based on the proportion of votes they receive in the parliamentary elections, with seats allocated according to their vote share.
However, the Rwandan Constitution stipulates that to secure a seat in Parliament, a party or candidate must have received at least 5% of the valid votes cast.
In announcing the preliminary results from the July 15 parliamentary elections, NEC revealed that FPR-Inkotanyi and its allied parties garnered 68.83% of the votes, PL received 8.66%, PSD 8.62%, PDI 4.61%, DGPR 4.56%, and PS-Imberakuri 4.51%.
Independent candidate Janvier Nsengiyumva received 0.21%. According to the Constitution, only the top three parties that received at least 5% of the votes are entitled to seats in Parliament, while others with less than 5% are not.
In a press briefing following the release of the preliminary results, NEC officials explained that the assumption that parties like PDI, DGPR, and PS-Imberakuri would not secure parliamentary seats based on the announced vote percentages was incorrect.
Charles Munyaneza, NEC’s Executive Secretary, explained that there is a baseline number used to determine how many seats a political party is allocated during elections. He said, “The baseline number was 167,762, which represents the total valid votes. This figure is used to calculate seat allocations. If a party does not reach the 5% threshold, their votes are excluded from the allocation process. Once the baseline number is determined, it is divided by the total number of seats available, which is 53 in this case.”
Munyaneza added, “After calculating the baseline number, to determine the number of seats a political party receives, you divide the party’s vote count by this baseline number. If the result shows that the party has achieved the equivalent of at least 5% of the votes, it qualifies for seat allocation.”
According to Munyaneza’s explanation, political parties that did not achieve the 5% threshold might still secure seats in Parliament due to the allocation process. “The percentage figures like 4.5% or 4.6% are considered as having reached the 5% threshold for the purposes of seat allocation,” he stated.
Munyaneza also addressed questions about the decrease in votes for independent presidential candidates and political parties compared to initial projections. “We reported preliminary results based on the data we had while counting votes. The process was ongoing, and our system accurately recorded and aggregated the votes. Preliminary results are subject to review and adjustment,” he said.
NEC President Oda Gasinzigwa noted, “The initial projections were based on the data available at the time of reporting. We have systems in place for accurate vote counting and reporting. Preliminary results are subject to verification, and any candidate dissatisfied with the results has 48 hours to file a complaint.”
In addition to the preliminary results for the 53 parliamentary seats, NEC also announced preliminary results for the presidential election. Paul Kagame of FPR-Inkotanyi received 99.18%, Dr. Frank Habineza of DGPR received 0.50%, and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana received 0.32%.
