Plan to synchronise parliamentary, presidential elections

Rwanda’s cabinet has decided to synchronise the dates for its parliamentary and presidential elections, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

At a meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame, ministers approved his proposal to amend the constitution, “allowing for the harmonisation of parliamentary and presidential election calendars”, it said.

The polls are now expected to take place in August next year, the date originally set for the presidential election, effectively delaying the parliamentary ballot that had been scheduled for September 2023.

The move – which still needs parliamentary approval – was unveiled in a statement that also confirmed that Kagame critic Paul Rusesabagina’s 25-year sentence on terrorism charges had been commuted by presidential order.