Rwanda to hold first ever presidential debates

Rwandan presidential candidates will for the first time

in the history of the country's elections appear in a live television

debate ahead of August 4 polls, said the National Electoral Commission

(NEC) of the country on Wednesday.

The three

candidates, incumbent President Paul Kagame of the ruling party Rwanda

Patriotic Front (RPF), Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of

Rwanda and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate, will face off

next week, in the much-anticipated television debate, NEC’s executive

secretary Charles Munyaneza told Xinhua news agency in a telephone

interview.

He said the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency and NEC are currently organizing the live presidential debate.

"We are organizing the live presidential debate for

aspiring candidates which will take place sometime next week. We shall

confirm the day, time and venue in due course. The event will give

voters an easy platform to listen to the presidential candidates and

then judge for themselves ahead of the polls," he said.

He

also said that more than 1,000 election observers from European Union,

East African Community (EAC), African Union, members of the diplomatic

missions accredited to Rwanda, and local civil society organizations,

among others, have already been confirmed to participate in the August

presidential election.