Rwanda’s electoral body ready to ensure smooth Senate elections

KIGALI, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) — Rwanda's National Electoral Commission (NEC) said on Friday that preparations for next month's Senate elections have reached a satisfactory level.

Campaigns began earlier this week for candidates running for seats in Rwanda's Senate, the upper house of parliament, ahead of elections scheduled for September 16 and 17.

A total of 32 candidates are competing for 26 seats in the Senate. The election campaigns run until September 14.

At a press conference in Rwanda's capital Kigali, Oda Gasinzigwa, chairman of the NEC, said the campaigns were on track and called on members of the electoral college to participate in the election in large numbers.

“The election of senators is crucial as it ensures that Rwandans choose their representatives in Parliament. The Electoral Commission has put all the conditions in place to ensure a smooth election process,” she said. “We encourage members of the electoral college to participate in large numbers so that we can further strengthen the democratic principle chosen by Rwandans.”

The Rwandan Senate is composed of 14 deputies elected by electoral colleges in the city of Kigali, the provinces and the universities, eight senators appointed by the president and four senators from the National Consultative Forum of Political Organizations. Public and private universities each have one seat in the Senate.

The electoral college for senators is composed of district councillors, while university representatives are elected by teaching and research staff of public and private universities and other higher education institutions.

To be eligible to run for the Senate, you must be at least 40 years old and have a university degree.