Rwandan electoral body starts receiving senatorial nominations Tuesday

According to the Rwandan Constitution  and all electoral laws and instructions, prospective candidates are  required to present a dossier with confirmation of Rwandan nationality  with at least 40 years old and above, a certificate of criminal record,  proving that the candidate has not been convicted for more than 6  months, and being widely accepted in society as a wise and upright  person.

The Chairman of NEC, Prof. Kalisa Mbanda told a news  briefing in Kigali that prospective candidates submitting their bids to  the commission between 22 July and 9 August, while campaigns will run  from 27 August through 15 September.

Campaigns for the qualified  candidates will officially begin on 27 August  and end on 15 September,  just a day before the elections.

The Senate is made up of 26  members – including 12 members who represent the country’s four  provinces and the City of Kigali and are picked through electoral  colleges – and eight senators appointed by the President of the  Republic.

Four senators are designated by the Consultative Forum  of Political Organisations, one senator represents public universities  and higher learning institutions, while another one is picked from  private universities and institutions of higher learning.

Of the  12 elected senators who represent the country’s four provinces and the  City of Kigali, one senator is elected from the City of Kigali, two  senators come from the Northern Province, while the rest of the three  provinces elect three senators each.

The deadline to announce elected senators is on 30 September 2019, the Rwandan electoral official said.

It  is estimated that about 200 million Rwandan Franc (About $223,000 USD)  will be allocated to organise the upcoming elections, according to the  NEC.

CU/as/APA