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Rwandans are voting to elect their president, with incumbent Paul Kagame expected to win by a landslide. Mr Kagame's supporters say he has brought both stability and steady economic growth since the country's genocide in 1994. His critics accuse him of suppressing opposition and undermining democracy. This is only the second presidential election since 1994, and five million Rwandans are registered to vote. Mr Kagame won the election in 2003 with 95% of the vote. 'No apologies' Mr Kagame faces three rivals in the election, all with links to the president's all-powerful Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). This has led some opponents to denounce the election as a charade. But as he completed campaigning, Mr Kagame told critics among rights groups and the international community they should "not tell us how to shape our country". He said of his RPF: "It is strong, it is organised, it has planned over a long time, historically it has been with the people to resolve challenging issues and therefore that results in a kind of overwhelming support. I have no regrets about it, I make no apologies." Mr Kagame has held massive election rallies attended by tens of thousands of supporters. His supporters say he has strengthened agricultural output, rebuilt the country's institutions, tackled corruption effectively and promoted women's rights and an environmentally friendly agenda. His rivals have only managed much smaller rallies. Jean Damascene Ntawukuriryayo, of the PSD, told supporters at one: "We see our policies as a continuation of those of the RPF." Some more vocal opponents of Mr Kagame were prevented from fielding candidates and have complained of intimidation. However, Electoral Commission spokesman Pacifique Nduwimana said that "everything went smoothly" during the campaign, with no incidents of violence. Mr Nduwimana said voting material was being brought to polling stations on Sunday ahead of the vote. Voting will begin at 0600 local time (0400 GMT) on Monday. The Electoral Commission has accredited 1,394 observers, 214 of them from abroad, including from the African Union and Commonwealth. Credit: BBC

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.