2013 Rwandan parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Rwanda between 16 and 18 September 2013.[1] The result was a victory for the Rwandan Patriotic Front, which maintained its absolute majority in the Chamber of Deputies, winning 41 of the 80 seats.

Rwandan parliamentary election, 2013

← 2008 16–18 September 2013 2018 →
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party RPF PSD PL
Seats before 36 7 4
Seats won 37 7 5
Seat change Increase1 - Increase1

Electoral system

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Of the 80 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, 53 were directly elected by closed list proportional representation with an electoral threshold of 5%. A further 27 seats were indirectly elected by local and national councils, including 24 reserved for women, two for representatives of youth and one for representatives of handicapped.[2]

Conduct

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In the weekend preceding the election, on 13 and 14 September, two grenades exploded in a Kigali market.[3] The Rwandan government blamed the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), the remnants of the force responsible for the 1994 Genocide.[2] Questions were asked about the credibility of the election as transparent, free and fair.[4]

Voting was otherwise reported as orderly.

Results

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Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
RPF coalitionRwandan Patriotic Front76.2237+1
Centrist Democratic Party10
Ideal Democratic Party10
Party for Progress and Concord10
Rwandan Socialist Party10
Social Democratic Party13.0370
Liberal Party9.295+1
Social Party Imberakuri1.460New
Independents00
Indirectly-elected members270
Total800
Total votes5,881,874
Registered voters/turnout5,953,53198.80
Source: IPU, All Africa

References

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  1. ^ Rwanda: MPs' Nomination Scheduled for July All Africa, 6 June 2013
  2. ^ a b Rwandans vote in parliamentary elections Al Jazeera, 16 September 2013
  3. ^ Two die in grenade attacks in Rwanda Al Jazeera, 14 September 2013
  4. ^ Rwanda: A democracy in the making? Al Jazeera, 16 September 2013