2015 Rwandan constitutional referendum
A constitutional referendum was held in Rwanda on 18 December 2015. Rwandans living abroad voted on 17 December.[1] The amendments to the constitution would allow President Paul Kagame to run for a third term in office in 2017, as well as shortening presidential terms from seven to five years, although the latter change would not come into effect until 2024.[1] They were approved by around 98% of voters.[2]
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| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Rwanda |
Background
A petition calling for Article 101 of the constitution (which imposes presidential term limits) to be amended gained over 3.7 million signatures, equivalent to over 60% of registered voters in Rwanda.[3] The constitutional amendments were approved by the Senate in November 2015.[1] If passed, they would allow Kagame to stand for a further two terms in office after 2024,[1] potentially allowing him to remain in power until 2034.[4] The opposition Democratic Green Party attempted to block the changes, but saw their bid to do so rejected in court.[5] The European Union and United States criticised the proposals, saying that it "undermines democratic principles". In response, Kagame criticised other countries for interfering in domestic affairs.[4]
Results
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| For | 6,157,922 | 98.3 |
| Against | 105,260 | 1.7 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 22,171 | – |
| Total | 6,285,353 | 100 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 6,392,867 | 98.3 |
| Source: NEC | ||
References
- Paul Kagame's third term: Rwanda referendum on 18 December BBC News, 9 December 2015
- Rwanda vote 'allows Kagame to extend term in office' BBC News, 19 December 2015
- Only 10 Rwandans against Paul Kagame's third term, says lawmakers' report The Nation, 11 August 2015
- Rwanda to hold referendum on Kagame third term on December 17 Daily Nation, 9 December 2015
- Rwanda president to decide on third term after referendum Reuters, 7 December 2015
